iimiJiiPiiilliifct^''"^^ 


Fishing  for  Men 


J.  WILBUR  CHAPMAN,  D.  D, 


v§ 


^s 


Chicago 

THE  WINONA  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 

1904 


COPYRIGHT  1904 

BY 

THE  WINONA   PUBUSHING  COMPANY. 


To  My  Father 

A  Christian  Gentleman,  an  Ideal  Father 
and  a  Priest  in  his  Household. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER. 

PAGE. 

I. 

The  Art  of  Fishing 

I 

II. 

Organizations  for  Men 

'3 

III. 

A  Fascinating  Work 

21 

IV. 

An  Easy  Work           .... 

32 

V. 

Personal  Evangelism  for  Men     . 

4.0 

VI. 

How   Some   Men  Have   Been  Won    to 

Christ           ..... 

50 

VII. 

A  Word  with  the  Head  of  the  House 

60 

VIII. 

A  Never  Failing  Principle 

69 

IX. 

A  Startling  Statement 

82 

X. 

A  Message  to  Men  on  the  Grace  of 

God               

95 

XI. 

A  Church  for  Men 

106 

XII. 

Dr.  Munhall's  Message     . 

123 

XIII. 

The  White  Life         .          .           .          . 

134 

XIV. 

A  Fatal  Mistake       .... 

154 

XV. 

An  Old  Love  Story 

173 

XVI. 

Life  or  Death            .... 

i8q 

FISHING   FOR  MEN 


CHAPTER   FIRST. 

THE  ART  OF  FISHING. 

Concerning  the  art  of  fishing  Dr.  Henry  van 
Dyke,  that  successful  fisherman,  distinguished  au- 
thor, and  great  preacher,  has  said :  "The  attraction 
of  angHng  for  all  the  ages  of  man  from  the  cradle 
to  the  grave  lies  in  its  uncertainty.  'Tis  an  affair  of 
luck.  No  amount  of  preparation  in  the  matter  of 
rods  and  lines  and  hooks  and  lures  and  nets  and 
creels  can  change  its  essential  character.  No  excel- 
lence of  skill  in  casting  the  delusive  fly  or  adjusting 
the  tempting  bait  upon  the  hook  can  make  the  re- 
sult secure.  You  may  reduce  the  chances  but  you 
cannot  eliminate  them.  There  are  a  thousand  points 
at  which  fortune  may  intervene.  The  state  of  the 
weather,  the  height  of  the  water,  the  appetite  of  the 
fish,  the  presence  or  absence  of  other  anglers  enter 
into  the  reckoning  of  your  success.  When  you  go 
a-fishing  you  just  take  your  chances.  You  offer 
yourself  as  a  candidate  for  anything  that  may  be  go- 
ing; you  try  your  luck. 

"There  are  certain  days  that  are  favorites  among 
anglers,  who  regard  them  as  propitious  for  the  sport. 
I  know  a  man  who  believes  that  the  fish  always  rise 
better  on  Sunday  than  on  any  other  day  in  the  week. 
He  complains  bitterly  of  this  supposed  fact,  because 
his  religious  scruples  will  not  allow  him  to  take 
advantage  of  it.     He  confesses  that  he  has  some- 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


times  thought  seriously  of  joining  the  Seventh-Day 
Baptists. 

"But  in  fact,  all  these  superstitions  about  fortunate 
days  are  idle  and  presumptuous.  If  there  were  such 
days  in  the  calendar,  a  kind  and  firm  Providence 
would  never  permit  the  race  of  man  to  discover 
them.  It  would  rob  life  of  one  of  its  principal  at- 
tractions, and  make  fishing  altogether  too  easy  to 
be  interesting." 

While  all  this  is  true  of  angling  it  is  not  true  con- 
cerning the  art  of  fishing  for  men.  When  Jesus 
called  His  disciples  He  said:  "Follow  Me  and  I 
will  make  you  fishers  of  men." 

He  makes  them  fishers  as  to  their  office,  by  His 
call,  which  is  twofold,  outward  and  inward,  by  set- 
ting them  apart  to  the  office  of  the  ministry ;  and 
it  is  our  business  to  know  whether  we  have  it  or 
not. 

He  makes  them  fishers  as  to  success ;  that  is.  He 
makes  them  catch  men  to  Himself  by  the  power  of 
His  spirit  accompanying  the  word  they  preach. 

Thomas  Boston  once  said:  "What  an  honorable 
thing  it  is  to  be  fishers  of  men !  How  great  an  honor 
shouldst  thou  esteem  it,  to  be  a  catcher  of  souls ! 
We  are  workers  together  with  God,  says  the  apostle. 
If  God  has  ever  so  honored  thee,  O  that  thou  knew- 
est  it,  that  thou  mightst  bless  His  holy  name,  that 
ever  made  such  a  poor  fool  as  thee  to  be  a  co-worker 
with  Him.  God  has  owned  thee  to  do  good  to  those 
who  were  before  caught.  O  my  soul,  bless  thou  the 
Lord.  Lord,  what  am  I,  or  what  is  my  father's 
house  that  Thou  hast  brought  me  to  this?" 

2 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


Just  to  prove  that  it  is  possible  for  us  to  be  sure 
of  success  Jesus  gives  us  the  vision  of  His  own 
gracious  ministry  and  then  sends  out  into  the  work 
men  Hke  Matthew,  a  Collector  of  Customs,  and  of 
the  opposite  extreme  a  man  like  Peter,  who  was  a 
profane  fisherman ;  and  both  of  them  became  equally 
successful  in  the  art  of  man  fishing;  so  that  one  can 
readily  see  that  it  is  not  a  question  of  natural  gifts 
but  rather  a  question  of  absolute  yielding  to  Him 
who  stands  ready  to  equip  us  with  power  and  skill 
for  this  most  wonderful  work. 

One  of  the  most  fascinating  fishing  pictures  in  the 
New  Testament  is  found  in  the  twenty-first  chapter 
of  the  Gospel  of  John.  The  scene  is  on  the  shores 
of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  where  Jesus  loved  to  be,  and 
which  was  also  an  attractive  place  to  His  disciples. 

After  Jesus  had  been  crucified  and  the  disciples 
were  as  sheep  without  a  shepherd  they  were  gathered 
one  evening  upon  the  shores  of  the  Sea  watching 
the  fishermen  put  out  to  their  night's  work.  There 
is  a  peculiar  fascination  about  fishing.  If  once  you 
have  been  skilled  in  this  work  nothing  can  ever 
wean  you  from  it.  And  Peter  was  a  real  fisherman. 
With  eyes  flashing  and  face  flushed  he  turns  to  his 
fellow  disciples  to  say :  "I  go  a-fishing."  His  spirit 
stirs  them  and  they  reply :  "We  also  go  with  thee." 
It  was  a  poor  night's  work  for  them,  for  that  night 
they  caught  nothing.  Then  there  is  given  to  us  one 
of  those  beautiful  gems  of  scripture  in  which  the 
Bible  so  abounds,  John  21:4-5-6:  "But  when  the 
rnorning  was  now  come,  Jesus  stood  on  the  shore ; 
but  the  disciples  knew  not  that  it  was  Jesus.    Then 

3 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


Jesus  saitli  unto  them,  Children,  have  ye  any  meat? 
They  answered  Him,  no.  And  He  said  unto  them. 
Cast  the  net  on  the  right  side  of  the  ship,  and  ye 
shall  find.  They  cast  therefore,  and  now  they  were 
not  able  to  draw  it  for  the  multitude  of  fishes." 

It  is  well  worth  our  while  to  notice  the  difference 
between  the  close  of  the  third  verse  and  the  close 
of  the  sixth.  In  the  first  we  read :  "They  caught 
nothing,"  in  the  second  it  is  said  "they  were  not 
able  to  draw  it  for  the  multitude  of  fishes,"  How 
can  you  account  for  the  remarkable  change  in  re- 
sults ? — for  you  have  the  same  sea,  the  same  nets  and 
the  same  fishermen.  To  my  mind  it  is  an  easy  prob- 
lem to  solve,  and  herein  lies  the  secret  of  successful 
fishing  for  men.  The  first  time  they  toiled  in  their 
own  strength,  the  second  time  in  the  strength  of 
their  Risen  Lord,  The  first  time  they  simply  exer- 
cised their  own  ingenuity  and  fisherman's  skill,  the 
second  time  they  obeyed  perfectly  the  commands  of 
Him  who  stood  upon  the  shore  saying:  "Cast  the 
net  on  the  right  side  of  the  ship  and  ye  shall  find," 

Seated  one  day  in  my  home  in  Philadelphia  in 
conversation  with  the  Rev,  F,  B.  Meyer,  I  heard 
from  him  the  story  of  his  work  in  the  interest  of 
discharged  prisoners.  He  was  seeking  to  aid  them 
by  means  of  a  wood  yard  which  was  equipped  with 
a  splendid  saw  set  on  a  strong  frame  and  turned  by 
the  men  themselves.  I  was  the  more  interested  in 
this  because  I  was  seeking  to  do  the  same  thing  for 
some  men  in  Philadelphia,  and  the  financial  results 
were  practically  the  same.  At  the  close  of  each 
week  there  was  a  deficit  to  meet.     The  wood  vard 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


scheme  was  most  unprofitable  financially.  Then 
said  Mr.  Meyer:  "There  came  to  me  a  man  who 
said,  'Why  do  you  not  put  a  steam  engine  in  your 
wood  yard  ?'  "  -Following  his  suggestions,  a  little  up- 
right engine  was  set  in  operation  and  the  first  week 
the  results  were  entirely  different.  Instead  of  losing 
money  I  found  I  had  actually  made  a  profit.  Then 
said  this  distinguished  teacher  and  preacher :  "I  can 
imagine  myself  talking  to  the  saw,  saying,  'Old  saw, 
what  is  it  that  has  made  such  a  difference  in  you? 
Up  to  this  time  I  have  always  lost  money  by  you 
and  now  see  what  a  change.'  And  if  the  old  saw 
could  speak,"  said  my  friend,  "I  doubt  not  it  would 
say,  'Well,  master,  you  see  prior  to  this  time  I  have 
had  back  of  me  the  power  of  man,  but  this  week  I 
have  been  pushed  forward  by  the  power  of  steam.'  " 
And  that  was  the  secret  of  the  successful  week. 

I  doubt  not  but  that  many  of  us  have  failed  in 
our  fishing  for  men  because  we  have  worked  simply 
in  the  energy  of  the  flesh.  When  back  of  us  there 
is  the  power  of  the  Risen  Christ,  success  is  very 
sure. 

There  are  different  ways  of  working.  I  know  of 
one  man  who  has  given  up  everything,  friends  and 
home  and  comforts  of  every  sort,  that  he  may  per- 
sonally labor  in  behalf  of  the  lost,  and  he  has  won 
men  to  Christ  by  the  score.  Some  men  may  feel, 
however,  that  they  have  little  strength  or  talent  to 
do  the  personal  work  for  Christ. 

I  was  told  the  other  day  of  a  wealthy  man  in  St. 
Louis,  who  listened  to  a  discussion  of  personal  Evan- 
gelism, who,  when  it  was  over,  came  to  his  pastor 

5 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


to  say:  "See  here,  I  cannot  do  this  work  myself; 
first,  because  I  am  too  busy,  and  second,  because  I 
am  sure  I  have  no  talent  for  it,  but  if  you  will  find 
someone  whom  you  know  and  ask  him  to  devote  his 
whole  time  to  winning  souls,  I  will  assume  his  finan- 
cial support  for  at  least  six  months," 

A  certain  Baptist  minister  who  had  toiled  four- 
teen years  in  a  certain  church,  never  had  a  Com- 
munion Service  that  he  did  not  have  the  joy  of 
welcoming  many  people  into  the  church  and  to 
Christ.  Men  wondered  at  his  success.  They 
studied  his  methods  to  find  the  secret  of  his  power, 
all  to  no  avail.  When  the  pastorate  came  to  an  end 
and  he  was  saying  good-bye  to  those  who  could  not 
say  farewell  to  him,  he  came  to  an  old  bed-ridden 
saint  who  said  to  him :  "Doctor,  I  have  never  heard 
you  preach,  but  in  all  the  time  that  you  have  been 
the  pastor  of  our  church,  I  have  prayed  for  you 
without  ceasing.  Whenever  I  could  not  sleep  I 
prayed  and  Saturday  nights  especially,  I  asked  God 
for  a  great  blessing  to  rest  upon  you  on  the  mor- 
row." The  secret  was  out.  This  aged  Christian 
man  had  all  the  time  been  winning  souls,  although 
he  could  not  leave  his  room  and  rarely  left  his  bed. 
This  is  another  way  of  doing  this  work  for  the  Mas- 
ter, but  whether  we  work,  or  pay  or  pray,  it  must 
all  be  in  the  strength  of  the  Risen  Christ  who  has 
promised  not  only  to  make  us  fishers  of  men,  but  to 
equip  us  with  power  to  do  the  work.  And  when  we 
work  under  His  direction  and  leave  it  all  with  Him, 
what  may  have  seemed  to  be  insignificant  in  our 
sight  becomes  mighty  in  His,  for  when  our  weak- 

6 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


ness  is  coupled  to  His  strength  no  difficulty  is  too 
great  to  surmount.  Literally  is  it  true  that  we  can 
do  all  things  through  Christ  which  strengtheneth  us. 

The  story  is  told  of  an  artist  who  fashioned  a 
statue  of  an  Angel  from  the  marble  and  then  sent 
invitations  to  his  artist  friends  to  look  upon  his  work 
and  criticise  it.  They  were  all  loud  in  their  praises. 
Michael  Angelo  came  among  the  number,  and  the 
artist  desiring  to  hear  his  comments  without  being 
seen,  hid  himself  from  view  and  with  fast  beating 
heart  heard  the  great  artist  say  as  he  examined  the 
work  critically,  "It  lacks  one  thing."  The  poor  artist 
was  well  nigh  broken  hearted  when  he  heard  what 
seemed  to  be  an  unfavorable  criticism  made  by  the 
master.  After  days  of  suffering  he  sent  to  Angelo 
to  hear  from  his  own  lips  what  the  lack  might  be, 
and  he  heard  the  artist  say:  "It  lacks  only  life  to 
make  it  perfect.  If  it  had  life  it  would  move  its 
wings  and  take  its  place  among  the  angels  in  the 
skies,  and  would  be  as  perfect  almost  as  God  Himself 
could  make  it." 

Whether  our  work  be  great  or  small  it  amounts 
to  nothing  until  it  has  the  Master  touch  and  with 
that  touch  it  is  absolutely  sure  of  being  crowned 
with  success. 

In  the  New  York  Observer,  of  a  recent  date, 
Arthur  Jloward  Hall  has  emphasized  this  thought 
at  the  standpoint  of  a  poet : 

"Upon  the  canvas  long  the  artist  wrought. 
With  brush  and  pallet  through  each  weary  day. 
'Alas!'  he  sighed,  'I  but  my  faults  display'; 
And  sinking  on  the  floor  with  saddened  thought, 

7 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


Soon  fell  asleep.    The  evening  sunbeams  caught 
Perfection's  lights  and  shades  in  rich  array, 
Because  the  Master's  feet  had  passed  that  way — 
His  skill  had  done  what  pity  had  besought. 

"E'en  so  the  Master  who  has  gone  above, 
Beholding  how  our  work  is  crude  and  bare, 
In  His  own  hands  the  tools  doth  often  take, 
And  by  the  strong  transforming  touch  of  love 
For  our  surprise  and  honor  doth  prepare. 
Perfection's  lines  of  beauty,  ere  we  wake.'" 

That  distinguished  preacher  and  soul  winner,  Rev. 
J.  H.  Jowett,  of  Birmingham,  England,  recently  said 
in  a  sermon:  "George  Eliot  was  once  listening  to 
the  complaints  of  some  angling  friends  as  they  were 
describing  their  fruitless  day's  work.  Looking  into 
their  empty  creels  she  said :  ' Yoti  should  make  a 
deeper  study  of  the  subjectivity  of  the  trout.'  That 
is  a  very  suggestive  word,  and  pregnant  with  sig- 
nificance for  the  fishers  in  the  world  of  men.  We 
must  study  the  fish  that  we  may  find  out  what  will 
win  them  for  the  Lord.  All  fish  cannot  be  caught  ^ 
by  the  same  bait.  We  must  study  the  individual 
prejudices  and  habits  and  tastes.  We  must  discover 
what  will  catch  this  man  and  that  man,  and  address 
ourselves  accordingly.  I  was  once  passing  through 
a  little  village  in  the  Lake  Disirict,  and  there  was  a 
card  in  the  shop  window  which  gave  me  more  than 
a  passing  thought.  On  the  card  were  a  number  of 
artificial  flies  with  this  engaging  head-line:  'Flies 
with  which  to  catch  fish  in  this  locality.'  The  shop- 
keeper had  nothing  to  say  about  the  requirements 
of  the  Midlands.    He  had  studied  the  characteristics 

8 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


of  the  fish  in  his  own  neighborhood,  and  he  had  dis- 
covered what  bait  provided  the  best  allurement.  We 
preachers  must  do  it  in  our  own  localities.  It  was 
the  practice  of  the  Apostle  Paul :  'To  the  Jews  I 
became  as  a  Jew,  that  I  might  gain  the  Jews.'  He 
became  'all  things  to  all  men  that  he  might  gain 
some.'  He  baited  his  hook  according  to  the  fish  he 
wanted  to  catch.  I  don't  think  we  should  fish  with 
the  same  hook  for  Lydia  and  the  Philippian  jailer. 
It  may  be  that  we  shall  discover  that  a  sermon  will 
never  effect  the  purpose.  We  may  find  out  that  a 
letter  will  do  infinitely  better  work.  Or  it  may  be 
that  a  direct  talk  may  be  the  requisite  constraint. 
Or,  again,  it  may  be  that  a  long  conversation,  appar- 
ently indirect  and  aimless,  but  quietly  dropping  one 
delicate  hint,  may  win  a  soul  for  Christ.  Study  the 
fish! 
;  "Learn  from  other  fishermen  I  Other  men  will 
never  make  us  fishers  but  they  will  make  us 
better  fishers.  If  we  have  the  rudimentary  gift 
their  experience  may  help  to  enrich  it.  Let  us 
turn  to  the  expert  fishermen  and  see  if  their  ways 
and  methods  can  give  us  helpful  counsel.  John  Wes- 
ley was  a  great  fisher;  can  we  learn  anything  from 
him  ?  Dr.  Alexander  Whyte  has  told  us  how  he  has 
made  a  patient  and  laborious  study  of  John  Wesley's 
journals  for  the  purpose  of  classifying  all  the  texts 
upon  which  the  great  preacher  built  his  evangel.  Is 
not  that  a  splendid  discipline  for  anyone  who  wishes 
to  become  skilful  in  the  great  ministry?  What 
did  Wesley  preach  about?  And  how  did  he 
fit  his  message  to  the  changing  circumstances  of 

9 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


his  varying  spheres?  The  Salvation  Army  has  a 
great  body  of  expert  fishers.  They  lack  many  things, 
but  they  catch  fish.  How  do  they  do  it?  We  may 
dislike  many  of  their  ways,  but  what  is  it  in  their 
ministry  which  enables  them  to  win  multitudes  for 
the  Lord?  What  was  the  secret  of  Finney  and 
Moody?  And  what  is  it  about  Torrey  which  con- 
strains the  people  to  become  disciples  of  the  Christ  ? 
Let  us  set  about  this  investigation  like  men  who  wish 
to  do  great  business  for  the  Lord.  Let  us  eagerly 
pick  up  any  hints  which  these  highly  endowed  and 
experienced  men  may  be  able  to  give  us. 

"  'It  is  a  great  matter  to  take  a  trout  early  in  your 
trial.  It  gives  one  more  heart.  It  seems  to  keep 
one  about  his  business.  Otherwise  you  are  apt  to 
fall  into  unproductive  reverie.'  I  know  no  word 
more  closely  applicable  to  the  work  of  the  ministry. 
If  we  do  not  catch  men  we  are  in  great  danger  of 
losing  even  the  desire  to  catch  them.  Our  purposed 
activity  is  in  peril  of  becoming  a  dream.  Let  me 
counsel  my  fellow-preachers  in  the  lay  ministry  to 
make  up  their  minds  to  catch  one  soul,  to  go  about 
it  day  and  night  until  the  soul  is  won.  And  when 
they  have  gained  one  man  for  the  Master  I  have 
then  no  fear  as  to  what  will  be  their  resultant  mood. 
The  joy  of  catching  a  soul  is  unspeakable!  When 
we  have  got  one  soul  we  become  possessed  by  the 
passion  for  souls.  Get  one  and  you  will  want  a 
crowd !  And  let  me  say  this  further  word.  Keep 
a  list  of  the  names  of  the  souls  you  win  for  the 
King,  and  if  on  any  day  you  are  apt  to  be  cast  down, 


lo 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


and  the  lightness  and  buoyancy  goes  out  of  your 
spirit,  bring  out  that  Hst  and  read  it  over,  and  let 
the  contemplation  of  those  saved  lives  set  your  heart 
a-singing,  and  inspire  you  to  fresh  and  more  strenu- 
ous work.  It  is  a  good  thing  to  have  lists  of  the 
Lord's  mercies  by  which  to  drive  away  the  clouds  in 
a  day  of  apparent  adversity.  Let  your  labor  be  di- 
rected to  the  immediate  catching  of  men  for  the 
Lord.  'It  is  a  great  matter  to  take  a  trout  early  in  "^ 
your  trial.' 

"And  now  I  will  close  this  meditation  by  offering^ 
a  suggestion  which  I  obtained  from  an  advertise- 
ment in  an  anglers'  paper  some  time  ago.  'Now  is 
the  time  for  your  old  favorite  rods  to  be  overhauled 
and  treated  with  a  steel  tonic  that  will  not  fail  to 
work  wonders  in  the  way  of  renewing  their 
strength.'.  And  following  this  advertisement  came 
this  confirmatory  testimonial :  'I  am  glad  to  ac- 
knowledge that  a  very  whippy  gig-whip  of  a  rod 
has  been  converted  into  a  powerful  weapon.'  My 
hearers  will  immediately  perceive  the  spiritual  sig- 
nificance of  the  words.  There  are  times  when  we 
need  the  'steel  tonic'  in  order  that  our  poor  minis- 
ters may  be  converted  into  powerful  weapons.  And, 
blessed  be  God,  we  have  the  promise  of  this  re- 
demptive work  in  the  very  names  in  which  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  revealed  to  us.  He  is  called  the  Renewer, 
the  Reviver,  the  Restorer  of  souls,  and  by  His  bap- 
tism the  poorest,  weakest  agent  can  be  turned  into  a  y 
powerful  weapon.  'They  that  wait  upon  the  Lord 
shall  renew  their  strength.'    Let  us  turn  to  our  Lord 


JT 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


this  very  night,  and  seek  for  that  renewal  in  the 
strength  of  which  we  shall  turn  to  our  work  with 
multiplied  possibility,  and  with  perfect  assurance  of 
success." 


la 


CHAPTER   SECOND. 

ORGANIZATIONS  FOR  MEN. 

There  are  two  organizations  greatly  used  of  God 
to-day  in  the  winning  of  men  to  Christ,  which  for 
special  reasons  I  must  mention. 

First,  The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association, 
and  second,  the  Brotherhood  of  Andrew  and  Philip. 
To  the  first  I  owe  more  than  I  can  ever  express. 
To  the  second  I  shall  as  a  pastor  always  be  indebted, 
for  the  Brotherhood  in  the  Bethany  Church  of  Phil- 
adelphia was  my  strong  right  arm  for  service  and  I 
am  persuaded  that  for  whatever  of  success  was  given 
me  in  connection  with  that  pastorate,  much  of  the 
credit  in  the  day  of  awards  will  be  given  to  the  loyal 
members  of  that  great  brotherhood  of  men. 

It  was  in  a  Young  Men's  Association  in  the  City 
of  Richmond,  Indiana,  years  ago,  that  I  decided  to 
preach  the  Gospel  if  God  would  only  open  the  way. 
I  had  been  asked  to  lead  an  Association  meeting, 
something  I  had  never  done  before.  Tremblingly  I 
undertook  the  task  and  when  the  service  was  over, 
an  old  gentleman  by  the  name  of  Oliver  Coggshall, 
a  long  time  friend  of  my  father's,  came  to  speak  a 
word  of  encouragement  to  me.  He  said  that  I  had 
helped  him.  This  seemed  strange  to  me  inasmuch 
as  he  was  an  aged  Christian  at  that  time,  and  yet 
somehow  as  he  spoke  there  came  to  me  a  vision  of 
some  slight  service  which  I  might  render  to  God  and 

13 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


to  humanity  if  I  could  only  become  a  preacher  of  the 
Gospel.  It  is  natural,  therefore,  that  I  should  be 
hearty  in  my  commendation  of  the  Association 
work. 

In  these  days,  however,  it  has  come  to  pass  that  the 
Association  is  so  mighty  in  its  influence,  reaches  and 
helps  so  many  different  classes  of  people,  that  for  a 
minister  not  to  be  interested  in  its  work,  is  to  cut 
himself  off  from  one  of  the  most  inspiring  features 
of  Christian  service  in  modern  church  life  and  prac- 
tically to  stand  against  that  work  for  men  which 
God  is  highly  honoring. 

The  city  work,  the  work  among  students,  rail- 
road men,  soldiers  and  sailors,  is  to  my  mind  simply 
wonderful  and  I  praise  God  that  He  has  called  into 
this  branch  of  His  service  men  of  such  consecrated 
spirit  and  such  excellent  tact  as  the  members  of  the 
International  Committee,  the  secretaries  and  others. 
And  I  yet  believe  that,  great  as  has  been  the  work  in 
the  past,  it  is  really  just  at  the  beginning  of  its  best 
history.  In  many  of  our  cities  and  towns  to-day 
great  audiences  of  men  are  being  gathered  Sundax' 
after  Sunday  to  hear  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel, 
and  thousands  are  being  won  to  Christ. 

Mr.  Fred  B.  Smith,  one  of  whose  addresses  ap- 
pears in  another  part  of  this  book,  has  been  raised 
up  to  God  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  young  men.  I 
have  never  seen  greater  manifestations  of  power 
than  in  his  meetings,  and  literally  it  is  true  that  when 
he  preaches  hundreds  press  forward  to  take  his 
hand,  signifying  their  desire  and  determination  to 
lay  hold  upon  Jesus  Christ.     Cod  bless  the  Young 

14 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


Men's  Christian  Association,  one  of  the  mightiest 
agencies  in  the  world's  history  for  the  training  of 
"fishers  of  men." 

The  Brotherhood  of  Andrew  and  PhiHp  is  a 
body  of  men  held  together  by  two  rules,  the  Rule 
of  Prayer,  in  which  the  members  bind  them- 
selves to  pray  every  day  for  the  spread  of  Christ's 
Kingdom  among  men ;  and  the  Rule  of  Service,  in 
which  an  agreement  is  made  that  each  week  the 
Brotherhood  man  will  give  an  invitation  to  some  one 
to  attend  the  services  of  the  church.  Its  founder, 
the  Rev.  Rufus  VV.  Miller,  D.  D.,  of  Philadelphia,  is 
still  its  active  president,  and  is  doing  everything  in 
his  power  to  extend  the  influence  of  this  great 
brotherhood.  It  has  now  found  a  place  in  many 
different  denominations,  and  I  have  no  hesitation  in 
saying  that  no  pastor  can  find  a  better  organization 
for  his  men  than  this,  and  if  a  Brotherhood  is  estab- 
lished and  the  members  of  it  are  thoroughly  trained, 
there  is  available  at  once  a  great  force,  which  may 
be  used  for  the  winning  of  men  to  Jesus  Christ. 

The  Brotherhood  of  the  Bethany  Church  of  Phila- 
delphia came  about  in  this  way :  I  had  just  accepted 
the  pastorate  of  this  important  church*  and  was 
standing  at  the  foot  of  the  pulpit  steps  one  morning 
after  I  had  preached  my  sermon,  when  an  aged  man 
passed  along  and,  taking  me  by  the  hand,  said: 
"Well,  sir,  I  am  very  much  afraid  that  you  will  make 
this  pastorate  a  failure.  I  certainly  know  that  you 
will  without  help.  We  have  had  distinguished 
men  here  as  pastors  of  this  church  and  you 
are  young  and  I  tremble  for  you."     And  looking 

15 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


around  the  great  church  building,  with  pity  really 
shining  in  his  eyes,  he  said:  "But  I  have  stopped 
to  say  to  you  that  I  am  going  to  help  you."  It 
seemed  almost  ridiculous  and  I  wondered  -what  this 
old  man  could  do  for  me.  Then  he  said:  "I  have 
covenanted  with  two  other  men  to  pray  for  you  so 
long  as  you  are  the  pastor  of  this  church  and  we 
have  determined  to  ask  that  God  will  make  you  a 
winner  of  souls."  Then  I  looked  about  the  great 
church  with  eyes  filled  with  tears  and  knew  in  my 
heart  that  God  was  going  to  give  us  a  manifestation 
of  His  presence  and  power  in  that  work.  The  three 
men  became  ten,  the  ten  grew  to  twenty,  the  twenty 
numbered  one  hundred  and  the  Brotherhood  grew 
until  at  last  it  came  to  be  true  that  every  Sunday 
morning  from  9:45  to  IO.-45,  from  four  to  six 
hundred  men  met  me  for  prayer  and  conference. 
The  meetings  were  thrilling  in  their  interest.  Not 
a  service  was  held  without  conversions.  The  men 
prayed  for  God's  blessing  upon  me  as  their  pastor. 
They  frequently  accompanied  me  into  the  church. 
They  sometimes  formed  a  great  choir  in  the  gallery 
and  sang  with  great  effect.  Again  they  occupied 
seats  in  different  parts  of  the  church  and  watched 
for  souls.  They  stood  by  me  when  I  preached  on 
the  streets,  they  went  with  me  as  a  great  army  when 
I  conducted  meetings  in  another  part  of  the  city. 
They  still  stand  close  to  me  in  their  affections. 
When  I  was  called  away  from  the  church,  so  impor- 
tant was  the  service  deemed  to  be,  that  the  Hon, 
John  W'anamaker,  the  senior  elder  of  the  church  and 
the  honored  superintendent  of  the  Bethany  Sunday 

16 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


School,  decided  to  give  a  portion  of  bis  valuable 
time  to  the  Brotherhood  work.  He  now  meets  with 
the  men  every  Sunday  morning.  He  has  aided  them 
in  erecting  a  club  house  to  which  they  have  free  ac- 
cess and  he  himself  has  publicly  said  that  there  is  no 
greater  work  to  be  accomplished  to-day  by  the  min- 
ister and  the  church  officers  than  the  work  in  the 
interests  of  men.  To  one  seeking  the  best  organi- 
zation for  such  a  work,  I  would  say,  study  the 
principles  of  this  Brotherhood  of  Andrew  and 
Philip. 

There  is  also  now  in  existence  an  organization  of 
Christian  traveling  men  known  as  the  Gideons.  The 
society  is  just  a  few  years  old,  but  already  it  has 
exerted  a  powerful  influence  over  the  lives  of  the 
men  who  are  deprived  of  the  uplifting  home  sur- 
roundings and  regular  church  life.  The  general  sec- 
retary of  the  Gideons  has  told  me  that  until  he  was 
thirty-five  years  of  age  no  one  had  ever  spoken  to 
him  about  his  soul.  To  make  up  for  this  failure  on 
the  part  of  others,  the  Gideons,  from  their  secretary 
to  the  last  man  in  their  order,  seem  to  be  determined 
that  no  one  shall  come  within  the  reach  of  their 
influence  that  they  do  not  attempt  to  bring  him  to 
Jesus  Christ.  They  hold  services  in  the  hotels  where 
any  considerable  number  of  them  stop  together. 
They  are  always  welcome  guests  in  the  churches  of 
the  diiTerent  cities.  They  wear  a  little  badge  with  a 
blue  background  on  which  there  is  a  small  white 
pitcher,  emblematic  of  the  pitchers  that  were  broken 
by  the  faithful  three  hundred  when  they  cried  out 
as  thev  ran :    "The  sword  of  the  Lord  and  of  Gid- 


17 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


COD."  The  text  of  scripture  which  is  really  the  battle 
cry  of  the  Gideons  is  found  in  Judges  the  7th  chap- 
ter and  the  21st  verse,  "And  they  stood  every  man 
in  his  place  round  about  the  camp ;  and  all  the  host 
ran,  and  cried,  and  fled." 

Then  there  is  the  special  work  carried  on  in  the 
interests  of  men  by  the  rescue  missions  of  the  coun- 
try. These  missions  find  men  at  their  worst,  and  as 
they  preach  Christ  to  them,  they  have  the  joy  of 
seeing  them  restored  to  manhood  and  led  to  the 
Savior.  If  there  is  one  key  note  which  sounds  out 
above  another  in  the  work  of  the  rescue  mission- 
aries in  behalf  of  fallen  men,  it  is  love  for  the  lost. 
The  mission  with  which  I  am  most  familiar  is  the 
old  Jerry  McAuley  Mission,  316  Water  street,  New 
York.  Nothing  pleases  the  superintendent  of  this 
mission,  S.  H.  Hadley,  my  personal  friend,  so  much 
as  to  be  given  an  opportunity  to  love  a  lost  man 
back  to  his  Savior.  In  Isaiah,  the  38th  chapter  and 
the  17th  verse,  we  read,  "Behold,  for  peace  I  had 
great  bitterness ;  but  Thou  hast  in  love  to  my  soul 
delivered  it  from  the  pit  of  corruption."  The  mar- 
ginal reading  of  this  verse  is,  "Thou  hast  loved  my 
soul  from  the  pit."  This  is  the  secret  of  successful 
soul  winning  in  rescue  missions.  I  have  seen  Mr. 
Hadley's  face  fairly  beam  when  he  realized  that 
some  poor  lost  soul  had  thought  for  a  moment  that 
he  had  beaten  him  out  of  a  night's  lodging  or  a 
square  meal.  When  I  called  his  attention  to  the 
fact  his  only  response  was, "My,  but  this  is  fine !  This 
only  gives  me  another  opportunity  to  show  the  spirit 
of  Jesus  and  to  love  a  little  harder."    Somehow,  in 

18 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


the  end,  this  always  seems  to  win  out.  When  in 
New  York  City  men  are  kicked  out  of  every  sort  of 
respectable  place,  and  are  not  even  welcomed  in  the 
police  station,  they  gravitate  to  Water  street,  and 
the  more  depraved  they  are,  the  more  sure  they  seem 
to  be  of  the  hearty  welcome  from  this  Christlike 
man  who  has  succeeded  Jerry  McAulcy  in  his  great 
work,  and  who  is  known  throughout  the  world  as 
"S.  H.  Hadley,  the  drunkard's  friend."  To  spend 
an  evening  in  such  a  mission  is  to  feel  almost  as  if 
}ou  were  reading  a  new  chapter  in  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles.  The  men  testifying  there  are  sure  of  their 
conversion.  They  know  the  day,  the  hour,  and 
almost  the  minute  when  they  were  saved.  I  am  per- 
suaded, however,  that  if  we  had  something  of  this 
same  spirit  of  love  in  our  work  for  men  who  have 
not  fallen  quite  so  low  we  might  win  more 
of  the  lost  to  the  Savior.  \Miere  argument  fails, 
and  preaching  has  no  power,  where  singing  is  use- 
less, love  generally  prevails.  Truer  words  concern- 
ing the  subject  of  fishing  for  men  have  never  been 
written  than  these  recorded  by  the  Apostle  Paul  in 
the  13th  chapter  of  i  Corinthians: 

"Though  I  speak  with  the  tongues  of  men  and  of 
angels,  and  have  not  love,  I  am  become  as  a  sound- 
ing brass,  or  a  tinkling  cymbal.  And  though  I  have 
the  gift  of  prophecy,  and  understand  all  mysteries 
and  all  knowledge;  and  though  I  have  all  faith,  so 
that  I  could  remove  mountains,  and  have  not  love, 
I  am  nothing.  And  though  I  bestow  all  my  goods 
to  feed  the  poor,  and  though  I  give  my  body  to  be 
burned,  and  have  not  love,  it  profiteth  me  nothing. 


19 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


Love  suffereth  long  and  is  kind ;  love  envieth  not ; 
love  vaunteth  not  itself,  is  not  puffed  up.  Doth  not 
behave  itself  unseemly,  seeketh  not  her  own,  is  not 
easily  provoked,  thinketh  no  evil ;  rejoiceth  not  in 
iniquity,  but  rejoiceth  in  the  truth;  beareth  all 
things,  believeth  all  things,  hopeth  all  things,  en- 
dureth  all  things.  Love  never  faileth ;  but  whether 
there  be  prophecies,  they  shall  fail,  whether  there 
be  tongues,  they  shall  cease ;  whether  there  be  knowl- 
edge, it  shall  vanish  away.  For  we  know  in  part, 
and  we  prophesy  in  part.  But  when  that  which  is 
perfect  is  come,  then  that  which  is  in  part  shall  be 
done  away.  When  I  was  a  child,  I  spake  as  a  child, 
I  understood  as  a  child,  I  thought  as  a  child;  but 
when  I  became  a  man,  I  put  away  childish  things. 
For  now  we  see  through  a  glass,  darkly;  but  then 
face  to  face ;  now  I  know  in  part ;  but  then  shall  I 
know  even  as  also  I  am  known.  And  now  abideth 
faith,  hope,  love,  these  three,  but  the  greatest  of 
these  is  love." 


20 


CHAPTER  THIRD. 

A  FASCINATING  WORK. 

There  is  no  joy  that  can  be  compared  with  that 
which  rightfully  belongs  to  a  true  servant  of  Christ. 
If  men  were  seeking  an  experience  of  joy  just  from 
a  selfish  motive,  I  would  advise  an  immediate  en- 
trance upon  some  form  of  Christian  work. 

Beyond  every  other  experience  known  to  man  is 
the  satisfaction  which  God  has  given  to  the  one  who 
really  preaches  the  Gospel,  in  no  uncertain  way, 
making  no  apology  for  his  message,  and  believing 
it  to  be  the  very  word  of  God  and  the  power  of  God 
which  is  able  to  save  to  the  uttermost.  It  is  a  joy 
to  win  any  one  to  Christ,  for  when  we  win  the  lost, 
'we  set  joy  throbbing  in  three  places. 

First.  In  the  sinner's  heart.  There  is  nothing  like 
that  thrill  which  comes  to  the  one  who  yesterday 
was  in  the  darkness  of  sin,  and  to-day  is  in  the  clear 
light  of  the  knowledge  of  God. 

Second.  Joy  in  the  workers'  heart.  It  is  actually  L-^ 
beyond  the  power  of  human  language  to  describe. 
There  must  be  great  satisfaction  in  painting  a  mas- 
terpiece and  making  the  canvas  live  with  the  feat- 
ures of  Jesus  Christ,  but  it  is  not  to  be  compared 
with  the  joy  which  comes  to  one  in  the  possession 
of  the  knowledge  that  he  has  been  used  of  God  to 
bring  to  those  who  are  lost  and  ruined  by  the  power 
of  sin  the  ineffaceable  likeness  of  Jesus  Christ. 

21 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


Third.  Joy  in  the  heart  of  God.  There  is  a  text 
of  scripture  which  we  frequently  quote  as  follows: 
"There  is  joy  among  the  angels  over  one  sinner  that 
repenteth,"  but  this  is  a  misquotation  and  should 
read,  "There  is  joy  in  the  presence  of  the  angels  of 
God,"  and  where  can  this  be  but  in  the  very  heart  of 
God  himself?  Is  it  not  thrilling  to  know  that  we 
may  have  a  share  in  a  work  which  fills  the  heart  of 
the  Infinite  God  with  joy? 

-While  the  general  work  of  the  minister  is  so  much 
to  be  desired,  yet  I  can  truthfully  say  that  there 
is  no  part  of  it  so  thoroughly  fascinating  as  untiring 
service  in  the  interests  of  men.  But  there  are  cer- 
tain things  that  must  be  remembered  if  we  are  to 
move  these  special  hearers.  The  message  must  be 
personal.  Men  enjoy  being  told  where  they  are 
wrong  if  the  one  who  is  speaking  tells  them  of  their 
errors  in  the  spirit  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  message 
must  be  practical.  The  idea  that  some  ministers 
have  that  the  men  of  the  world  enjoy  scientific  and 
philosophical  discussions  is  nonsense.  "When  men 
come  to  the  house  of  God  they  come  as  a  rule  not 
to  hear  the  things  they  have  been  thinking  about  all 
week,  not  to  have  discussed  a  proposition  in  which 
they  may  outrank  in  knowledge  the  speaker,  but  to 
hear  that  which  has  in  it  the  very  presence  and 
power  of  God  and  breathes  of  the  atmosphere  of 
Heaven.  The  message  must  be  exceedingly  plain. 
Men  never  admire  a  trimmer  in  anything,  least  of 
all  do  they  admire  him  in  the  pulpit.  In  no  uncer- 
tain way  should  the  representative  of  Jesus  Christ 
speak  concerning  the  sinfulness  of  sin. 

22 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


I  was  preaching  not  long  ago  in  Chicago,  when  the 
following  came  to  me  from  one  of  the  men  of  the 
city :  "I  wish  I  might  say  something  that  would 
encourage  you  in  your  good  work,  and  may  I  not 
write  something  that  will  express  the  feelings  of 
hundreds  of  young  men  in  this  city?  Like  many 
others  I  am  from  a  dear  old  Christian  home  in  the 
country,  and  when  I  first  came  to  the  city  about 
twenty  years  ago  I  abhorred  sin,  gradually  I  came 
to  endure  it,  then  embraced.  It  is  with  remorse  and 
shame  that  I  think  novv  of  the  wasted  years  of  dis- 
sipation, of  the  cruel  sorrow  I  caused  the  dear 
patient  mother,  whose  hands  were  so  lately  folded 
in  death,  and  whose  prayers  were  constantly  ascend- 
ing to  Heaven  for  me.  Oh,  sir,  tell  the  young  men 
not  to  wait  until  their  mothers'  lips  have  grown  cold 
to  tell  her  that  they  love  her,  and  that  her  Savior 
will  be  their  Savior  too.  I  wish  I  could  warn  them 
from  my  own  sad  experience  to  avoid  sin  and  resist 
temptation,  but  sin  has  made  a  coward  of  me.  I 
ask  your  prayers  for  more  courage  and  strength." 

If  there  is  a  suggestion  of  a  disposition  on  the 
part  of  ministers  to  give  even  the  appearance  of 
excusing  sin  or  treating  it  lightly  or  with  indiffer- 
ence, that  very  fact  will  alienate  from  the  preachers 
many  of  their  hearers  because  they  know  too  well 
what  sin  is,  and  what  it  can  do.  If  one  would  be 
successful  in  fishing  for  men,  I  would  earnestly  ad- 
vise that  his  message  be  plain  and  pointed,  and  that 
no  room  be  left  for  any  one  to  imagine  that  the 
speaker  for  a  moment  fails  to  recognize  the  awful 
foe  with  which  he  and  the  men  before  him  have  to 


23 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


deal.  The  beginnings  of  sin  are  so  insidious  that 
we  cannot  speak  too  plainly  even  about  questionable 
things. 

In  a  men's  meeting,  recently  conducted  by  one  of 
the  most  successful  pastors  in  Ohio,  a  converted 
gambler  and  ex-saloon  keeper  made  the  following 
statement,  which  created  a  profound  impression. 

He  said :  "I  have  been  in  the  saloon  business, 
with  a  gambling-room  attached,  for  the  last  four 
years,  and  claim  to  know  something  about  what  I 
am  now  going  to  tell  you.  I  do  not  believe  that  the 
gambling  den  is  near  so  dangerous,  nor  does  it  do 
anything  like  the  same  amount  of  harm  as  the  social 
card  party  in  the  home.  I  give  this  as  my  reason: 
In  the  gambling  room  the  windows  are  closed  tight, 
the  curtains  are  pulled  down ;  everything  is  con- 
ducted secretly  for  fear  of  detection,  and  none  but 
gamblers,  as  a  rule,  enter  there,  while  in  the  parlor 
all  have  access  to  the  game,  children  are  permitted 
to  watch  it,  young  people  are  invited  to  partake  in 
it.  It  is  made  attractive  and  alluring  by  giving 
prizes,  serving  refreshments  and  adding  high  social 
enjoyments.  For  my  part,  I  never  could  see  the 
difference  between  playing  for  a  piece  of  silver 
molded  in  the  shape  of  money  and  silver  molded  in 
the  shape  of  a  cup  or  a  thimble.  The  principle  is 
the  same,  and  whenever  property  changes  hands  over 
the  luck  of  the  cards,  no  matter  how  small  is  the 
value  of  the  prize,  I  believe  it  is  gambling.  Per- 
haps you  have  never  thought  of  it,  but  where  do  all 
the  gamblers  come  from?  They  are  not  taught  in 
the  gambling  dens.    A  'greener,'  unless  he  is  a  fool, 

24 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


never  enters  a  gambling  hell,  because  he  knows  that 
he  will  be  fleeced  out  of  everything  he  possesses  in 
less  than  fifteen  minutes.  He  has  learned  some- 
where else  before  he  sets  foot  inside  of  such  a  place. 
When  he  has  played  in  the  parlor,  in  the  social  game 
of  the  home,  and  has  become  proficient  enough  to 
win  prizes  among  his  friends,  the  next  step  with  him 
is  to  seek  out  the  gambling-room,  for  he  has  learned 
and  now  counts  upon  his  efficiency  to  hold  his  own. 
The  saloon  men  and  gamblers  chuckle  and  smile 
when  they  read  in  the  papers  of  the  parlor  games 
given  by  the  ladies,  for  they  know  that  after  a  while 
those  same  men  will  become  the  patrons  of  their 
business.  I  say,  then,  the  parlor  game  is  the  college 
where  gamblers  are  made  and  educated.  In  the 
name  of  God,  men,  stop  this  business  in  your  homes. 
Burn  up  your  decks  and  wash  your  hands.  The 
other  day  I  overheard  two  ladies  talking  on  the 
street.  One  said,  'I  am  going  to  have  a  card  party, 
and  am  going  to  the  store  to  buy  a  pack  of  cards. 
Which  are  the  best  kind  to  get  ?'  The  other  replied, 
'Get  the  Angel  card.  It  has  an  angel  on  the  back.' 
Think,"  said  he,  "of  dragging  the  pure  angels  of 
heaven  into  this  infernal  business !" 

After  he  had  taken  his  seat  another  converted  ex- 
gambler  arose  and  said:  "I  indorse  every  word 
which  the  brother  before  me  has  just  uttered.  I 
was  a  gambler.  I  learned  to  play  cards,  not  in  the 
saloon,  not  in  my  own  home,  but  in  the  houses  of 
my  young  friends,  who  invited  me  to  play  with 
them  and  taught  me  how."  A  number  of  men 
went  home  from  that  afternoon  meeting  and  set 

25 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


up  a  new  rule  in  their  families,  that  never  should 
another  game  be  played  in  their  homes,  that  their 
parlors  should  not  become  kindergartens  for  train- 
ing young  gamblers. 

It  really  is  an  inspiration  to  preach  to  men  because 
there  is  so  much  in  man  that  appeals  to  you — his 
unselfishness,  his  bigheartedness,  his  willingness  to 
do  for  others,  the  heroic  element  in  him  all  stir  us 
to  our  best  efifort  in  his  behalf.  Not  long  ago  the 
country  was  thrilled  with  the  tidings  of  the  narrow 
escape  from  destruction  of  one  of  our  great  war 
vessels.  There  was  a  fire  on  board  and  it  was  sweep- 
ing down  toward  the  powder  magazine,  when  almost 
miraculously  the  vessel  was  saved.  The  credit  for 
saving  the  battle-ship  ^Missouri  from  destruction 
and  hundreds  of  her  crew  from  death  belongs  to 
a  gunner's  mate  named  ]\Ionson.  This  is  the  report 
that  came  from  Pensacola  by  way  of  Washington. 

When  the  charge  exploded  in  the  battle-ship's 
turret,  Monson  was  in  the  handling-room  below.  He 
was  getting  out  more  powder  from  the  open  maga- 
zine. When  fire  came  pouring  down  the  ammuni- 
tion hoist  Monson  knew  instantly  what  must  be 
done.  It  was  to  shut  the  magazine,  lest  the  tons 
of  powder  in  it  also  explode  and  sink  the  ship. 
If  Monson  had  stayed  in  the  handling-room  he 
would  undoubtedly  have  failed  to  close  the  maga- 
zine. He  would  have  been  killed,  as  were  his  com- 
rades there,  by  the  explosion  of  the  powder  already 
taken  out  of  the  magazine.  His  thought  and  action 
were  instant.    He  did  the  thing  to  be  done,  and  did 


26 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


it  in  the  only  way  in  which  it  could  be  done.  He 
jumped  into  the  magazine  and  pulled  the  door  shut 
behind  him.  He  did  this  in  the  face  of  certain  death 
by  fire  if  he  failed  and  probable  death  by  water  if  he 
succeeded.  For  he  knew  that  the  first  thing  his 
comrades  elsewhere  would  do  would  be  to  flood  the 
magazine.  IMonson  was  up  to  his  neck  in  water  and 
nearly  dead  from  suffocation.  But  he  saved  the  ship 
and  hundreds  of  her  crew. 

Gunner's  Mate  Monson  is  a  hero  of  the  useful 
type,  the  hero  of  disciplined  intelligence,  the  man 
who  is  not  only  fearless  but  thinks  straight,  acts 
fast,  and  so  meets  the  requirements  of  a  great  emer- 
gency, the  kind  of  man  who,  according  to  his  oppor- 
tunities, saves  a  ship  or  a  nation. 

It  is  an  awful  thing  to  realize  that  sin  can  take 
one  possessed  of  such  a  spirit  as  this,  destroy  his 
manhood,  weaken  his  character,  blight  his  reputa- 
tion and  cause  him  to  lose  his  soul.  This  fact  in 
itself  should  stir  ministers  and  Christian  workers  to 
the  best  effort  in  behalf  of  the  men  about  them.  It 
is  inspiring  to  know  that  we  have  a  Gospel  which 
never  fails  in  its  power  to  restore  lost  manhood,  to 
prevent  the  destruction  of  character,  to  make  possi- 
ble a  reputation  that  shall  commend  the  owner  to 
the  favor  of  men  and  save  the  soul  for  time  and  for 
eternity. 

Not  long  ago  there  came  to  my  notice  the  story  of 
the  great  Seaham  explosions  in  the  old  country. 
Elderly  men  still  live  in  the  vicinity  of  this  awful 
tragedy  whose  memories  keep  a  vivid  impression 


27 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


of  that  direful  day  and  the  story  of  the  heroic  death 
of  the  Christian  miners  is  still  willingly  told  to  all 
who  will  listen. 

The  men  were  working  in  four  gangways,  strik- 
ing out  at  right  angles  from  a  central  space,  into 
which  they  all  rushed  at  the  first  warning  of  danger. 
Then  the  frightful  explosion  took  place,  blocking 
up  each  of  the  outlets  with  falling  stones  and  tim- 
bers, thus  cutting  off  those  poor  imprisoned  men 
from  hope  of  rescue  so  completely  that  it  was  twelve 
months  before  the  working  party  of  excavators  could 
reach  this  death  trap. 

When  at  length  the  dense  mass  of  debris  was  dug 
through  and  cleared  away,  the  miners  came  upon  a 
gruesome  scene.  The  whole  of  their  missing  mates 
were  grouped  there,  the  skeletons  on  which  the 
clothes  hung  loosely,  each  in  a  sitting  posture  of 
perfect  composure.  The  immediate  cause  of  death 
would  be  the  noxious  choke-damp,  in  which  life  can- 
not possibly  exist  for  any  length  of  time.  Thomas 
Cole,  the  overman,  a  pronounced  and  consistent 
Christian,  had  evidently  been  the  last  to  succumb 
to  the  fatal  vapor.  As  each  of  his  comrades  passed 
out  of  life,  he  had,  with  singular  thoughtfulness, 
written  the  name  and  attached  it  to  the  clothes.  So, 
when  the  remains  were  reverently  and  tenderly  con- 
veyed to  the  bank,  each  mourning  family  could  have 
the  poor  comfort  of  burying  its  own  dead. 

There  was  another  use  of  Thomas  Cole's  bit  of 
charcoal,  which  cast  a  radiant  light  over  the  scene 
of  death.     Close  to  his  body  was  a  piece  of  paper 


28 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


on  which  was  scrawled  the  words :  "We  have  had 
a  prayer-meeting.  Every  soul  ready  for  glory. 
Hallelujah !     Thomas  Cole." 

Let  us  try  for  a  moment  to  realize  the  scene.  In 
the  midst  of  their  work  an  ominous  warning  of 
catastrophe,  a  sudden  rush  to  the  nearest  outlet, 
which  was  the  central  square  already  described,  fol- 
lowed by  an  explosion  violent  enough  to  smash  down 
all  the  supports  of  the  passages  and  block  them  with 
the  ruins.  For  a  moment  the  men,  gathered  to- 
gether in  a  position  of  comparative  safety,  would  be 
full  of  thankfulness  that  they  had  escaped  mutila- 
tion or  a  crushed-out  life,  but  very  quickly  they 
would  realize  that  this  inside  position,  with  the  long, 
blocked-up  passage  between  them  and  the  approach 
of  a  rescue  party,  made  their  case  hopeless.  Then 
they  would  know,  as  only  dying  men  can  know,  the 
full  blessing  of  Christ's  salvation.  There  would  be 
no  time  for  reasoning,  only  for  a  solemn  renewal  of 
faith  in  a  living,  present  Savior,  with  earnest  words 
of  prayer  and  committal  to  Him  of  those  who  were 
so  soon  to  be  widows  and  orphans. 

We  know  He  did  not  fail  them ;  we  are  sure  He 
was  there,  and  that,  tenderly  as  a  mother  soothes 
her  child  in  a  good  night  lullaby.  He  would  hush 
them  one  by  one  into  the  sleep  of  death.  When 
they  waked,  it  would  be  to  find  that  they  were  still 
with  Him,  but  in  the  morning  of  eternal  day !  This 
w^as  the  explanation  of  the  tranquil  attitude,  and  of 
Thomas  Cole's  written  words  of  final  triumph.  It  is 
one  more  grand  testimony  to  the  surpassing  excel- 


2q 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


lence  of  our  holy  religion.  Man  may  scoff  at  the 
Christian  faith ;  it  is  exceedingly  easy  to  do  that. 
But  let  those  laugh  who  win. 

There  is  that  in  man  which  causes  him  to  center 
his  affections  and  interests  with  enthusiasm  and 
untiring  zeal  upon  whatever  is  before  him  as  a  goal. 
If  he  gives  himself  to  sin,  it  is  with  terrific  abandon- 
ment. If  he  sets  out  to  win  the  favor  of  men,  he 
is  disposed  to  accomplish  it  at  any  cost.  If  he  has 
decided  upon  amassing  a  fortune,  he  will  toil  day 
and  night  that  his  aim  may  be  reached.  It  is  to  all 
such  that  Jesus  Christ  speaks  when  he  says,  "What 
shall  it  profit  a  man  if  he  gain  the  whole  world  and 
lose  his  own  soul?" 

Count  Leo  Tolstoi,  in  one  of  his  interesting  books, 
tells  the  story  of  the  legend  of  Russia  in  which  it 
w^as  said  that  in  a  certain  part  of  Russia  a  man 
could  have  all  the  land  he  could  measure  out  from 
sunrise  to  sunset,  but  he  must  run  about  it  all  to 
justify  his  claim.  He  pictures  one  starting  at  sunrise 
and  bending  every  energy  running  about  his  desired 
possession.  He  sees  the  waving  trees  in  the  dis- 
tance, and  determining  they  shall  be  his,  he  takes 
them  in  in  his  race.  He  catches  a  glimpse  of  the 
shining  river  ahead  and  putting  forth  renewed  ef- 
fort he  says,  "that  shall  be  mine,"  and  he  includes 
it  in  his  circle.  When,  lifting  his  eyes  to  his 
amazement  he  finds  that  the  sun  has  passed  the 
meridian,  then  bending  every  energy,  he  hastens 
back  only  to  find  that  he  seems  to  be  too  far  away 
to  reach  the  place  from  which  he  started  in  time 
to  claim  his  possession.     He  runs  with  the  speed 

30 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


of  the  wind,  going  faster  and  faster  until  at  last, 
with  one  heroic  effort,  he  reaches  the  starting  place 
and  touches  the  goal.  All  that  he  has  encircled 
is  his.  He  falls  upon  his  face  from  sheer  exhaus- 
tion, and  when  the}'^  stoop  to  pick  him  up,  he  is  dead. 
He  has  gained  it  all  and  lost  his  life. 

Is  not  this  a  true  picture  of  the  efforts  constantly 
being  put  forth  by  many  men  to-day  to  amass  a 
fortune  or  to  secure  honor  and  is  there  not  danger 
that  the  same  sad  ending  will  be  the  result  ?  Because 
of  the  intenseness  of  man's  nature,  therefore,  and 
because  of  the  fact  that  he  longs  for  something  on 
which  he  may  center  his  affections  and  consume  his 
zeal,  what  an  inspiration  it  is  to  the  preacher  to 
know  that  he  may  present  Christ  to  all  such,  and 
the  Savior  whose  presence  is  not  only  able  to  save 
from  sin's  penalty  and  sin's  power,  but  is  able  to 
draw  out  the  best  that  is  in  man,  until  with  character 
completely  transformed  he  stands  ready  for  life  in 
its  best  sense  and  has  made  provision  not  only  for 
time,  but  for  eternity  as  well. 

There  is  no  work  in  all  the  world  so  fascinating 
as  the  work  in  the  interest  of  men,  and  he  who 
preaches  the  Gospel  is  missing  almost  the  best  of 
his  ministry  if  he  does  not  seek  to  become  a  fisher 
of  men. 


31 


CHAPTER  FOURTH. 

AN  EASY  WORK. 

Strange  as  it  may  seem,  it  is  the  universal  testi- 
mony of  those  who  have  given  special  attention  to 
vi^ork  in  the  interests  of  men,  that  the  easiest  person 
in  all  the  world  to  reach  with  the  Gospel  is  not  a 
a  woman,  nor  a  boy,  nor  a  girl,  but  a  man,  a  full 
grown  man ;  one  even  that  is  steeped  in  sin.  I  am 
quite  well  aware  that  very  many  will  take  exception 
to  this  statement,  but  I  make  it  not  only  as  express- 
ing the  views  of  others,  but  as  my  own  clear  and 
honest  conviction.  But  if  we  would  have  our  efforts 
crowned  with  success,  it  is  essential  that  we  should 
keep  in  mind  several  great  principles,  the  first  of 
which  is  that  in  order  to  lead  a  man  to  Christ,  you 
must  first  of  all  make  him  think.  Men  are  so  held 
by  the  power  of  the  world,  their  attention  is  so  occu- 
pied with  the  battle  of  life,  and  sometimes,  alas, 
their  eyes  are  so  blinded  and  their  minds  so  deceived 
by  the  fascination  of  sin,  that  a  sharp  message  is 
often  needed  to  provoke  attention,  but  when  once 
the  interest  is  aroused  and  the  Gospel  presented,  it 
is  comparatively  easy  to  lead  the  impressed  one  to 
the  saving  knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Not  long  ago,  in  the  meetings  in  Chicago,  a  young 
man  with  a  very  white  face  came  up  to  me  saying, 
"What  do  you  mean,  sir,  by  telling  my  story?"  And 
I  said  to  him,  "I  do  not  understand  you."    "Well," 

32 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


he  said,  "I  came  into  the  meeting  a  Httle  late,  and 
you  were  using  an  illustration  concerning  a  young 
man  who  had  defaulted,  and  was  trying  in  every 
way  to  escape  arrest,  and  elude  the  officers.  What 
you  said  was  exactly  my  story  and  I  was  confident 
that  some  one  had  discovered  me  and  given  you  the 
account  of  my  wrong  doing."  "My  dear  sir,"  I  said, 
"I  have  never  seen  you  before,  I  did  not  even  know 
that  you  were  in  existence,"  but  his  intense  convic- 
tion was  an  illustration  of  what  I  have  already  been 
saying.  When  the  truth  is  presented  with  emphasis 
and  plainness,  it  always  grips,  for  while  I  had  been 
giving  the  account  of  this  particular  sin  of  which  the 
young  man  was  guilty,  without  having  him  in  mind, 
I  had  closed  by  saying,  "He  that  covereth  his  sin 
shall  not  prosper,"  and  "Be  sure  your  sin  will  find 
you  out."  I  also  said  :  "You  cannot  hide  away  from 
God,  and  it  is  well  nigh  impossible  in  these  days  for 
you  to  hide  away  from  men."  When  a  few  days  had 
passed,  I  received  from  him  the  following  brief  note : 
"Dear  sir,  I  have  resolved  to  take  your  advice  and  I 
am  now  going  back  to  Cleveland  to  make  a  clean 
breast  of  everything.  Good-bye  .and  God  bless  you." 
One  of  my  friends  was  preaching  in  a  southern 
city  when  the  sherifif  of  the  county  was  almost  per- 
suaded to  be  a  Christian.  The  meetings  closed  and 
he  had  not  reached  a  decision.  A  year  afterward 
my  friend  went  into  that  city  again  and  found  the 
old  sheriff"  was  dying  and  unsaved.  He  stood  by 
his  bedside  holding  his  hand  saying,  "Mr.  Sheriflf, 
they  tell  me  you  are  going  to  die,"  and  before  he 
could  say  more,  the  old  man  drew  away  his  hand. 

c  33 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


His  face  flushed  and  his  eyes  fairly  flashed  as  he 
said,  "Yes,  sir,  I  am  going  to  die,  and  I  want  you  to 
know  that  I  am  not  afraid  to  die.  I  have  stood  face 
to  face  with  death  too  many  times  to  flinch  now." 
They  say  he  had  been  one  of  the  bravest  soldiers  in 
the  Confederate  army.  My  friend  then  said  to  him, 
"I  am  sure  you  are  speaking  the  truth,  and  that  you 
are  not  afraid  to  meet  the  great  enemy  we  call  death, 
but  I  have  one  question  to  put  to  you.  How  about 
the  Judgment,  your  meeting  with  God  and  your 
standing  face  to  face  with  your  sins?"  The  old  man 
was  startled  for  a  moment,  then  covering  his  eyes 
with  his  hands,  his  thin  lips  were  seen  to  tremble, 
and  the  tears  started  to  roll  down  his  cheeks,  as  he 
said,  "God  pity  me,  sir,  I  am  not  ready  for  the  judg- 
ment." The  one  thing  that  moved  him  was  the  sharp 
question  of  the  minister,  and  what  is  true  in  con- 
versation will  be  equally  true  in  preaching. 

It  is  likewise  necessary  for  us  to  remember  that 
Christ  is  the  only  Savior  of  men,  and  that  if  men 
have  rejected  Christ,  then  according  to  the  scriptures 
they  are  lost.  This  is  not  an  easy  thing  to  say,  but  it 
must  be  said  if  we  accept  the  Bible  as  the  word  of 
God.  Clearly  must  it  be  shown  that  the  chiefest  of  all 
sins  is  the  rejection  of  the  Son  of  God.  When  Jesus 
spoke  concerning  the  coming  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  he 
said,  "When  He  is  come.  He  will  reprove  the  world 
of  sin,"  and  the  word  "reprove"  is  a  judicial  expres- 
sion, which  means  to  set  before  or  make  plain,  as  a 
lawyer  sets  before  the  jury  the  evidence  against  the 
one  who  is  accused  ;but  in  this  instance,  Jesus  clearly 
states,  that  the  sin  of  which  the  Spirit  of  God  will 

34 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


reprove  men,  is  that  they  have  not  beheved  on  the 
Son  of  God.  When  the  day  of  judgment  comes, 
therefore,  the  question  that  will  be  asked  is  not, 
were  you  drunken  or  profane,  dishonest  or  impure, 
but,  what  did  you  do  with  Jesus  Christ  ?  Upon  the 
answer  to  that  question  depends  our  standing  or 
falling  in  the  presence  of  the  judge  on  the  Great 
White  Throne. 

It  must  also  be  remembered  that  there  is  no  work 
so  delicate  as  the  work  of  winning  souls,  and  this  is 
especially  true  when  attention  is  given  to  the  win- 
ning of  men.  I  once  heard  Dr.  Talmage  say  in  his 
characteristic  fashion,  "There  is  no  art  quite  so  fine 
as  that  of  the  fisherman."  Jesus  knew  exactly  what 
He  was  talking  about  and  what  He  had  in  mind  for 
His  disciples  when  he  said,  "I  will  make  you  fish- 
ers of  men."  When  a  true  fisherman  fishes  in  these 
days,  he  selects  the  most  delicate  rod,  equips  it  with 
the  finest  line,  and  puts  upon  it  the  most  tempting  fly. 
He  then  wades  carefully  and  so  far  as  possible,  noise- 
lessly into  the  stream.  With  a  dexterous  throw,  he 
casts  his  line  and  almost  instantly  has  in  his  basket 
a  'beautiful  trout,  which  is  the  sure  reward  of  his 
fisher's  skill.  "But,"  says  Dr.  Talmage,  "when  wc 
attejnpt  to  fish  for  men,  we  do  exactly  the  opposite. 
We  use  a  beam  for  a  rod,  a  cable  for  a  line,  and  an 
anchor  for  a  hook,  and  then  with  great  commotion, 
we  cast  out  into  the  great  sea  of  life  and  say  to  men, 
bite  or  be  damned."  "Is  it  any  wonder,"  said  the 
great  preacher,  "that  we  are  so  unsuccessful  when 
"vve  have  so  far  missed  the  thought  of  the  greatest 
of  all  fishers  for  men,  even  Jesus  Christ  Himself?" 

35 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


Again,  we  must  be  wedded  to  no  particular 
method  if  we  would  be  successful  in  our  work. 
There  are  some  men  who  seem  to  be  constitutionally 
opposed  to  anything  that  savors  of  variety  or 
change.  And  yet  Jesus  was  rarely  twice  the  same. 
He  talks  quietly  in  one  place  and  lifts  up  His  voice 
to  cry  aloud  in  another.  He  pleads  upon  the  moun- 
tain side  and  stretches  forth  His  hands  in  an  en- 
treaty from  Peter's  boat.  He  speaks  tenderly  to 
little  children  and  the  mothers  that  bear  them  into 
His  presence,  and  cries  aloud  in  another  instance, 
saying  to  men  who  would  mock  Him,  "Ye  genera- 
tion of  vipers,  how  can  ye  escape  the  damnation  of 
hell  ?"  He  used  all  kinds  of  illustrations,  to-day 
a  crystal  of  salt,  and  to-morrow  a  grain  of  mus- 
tard seed.  In  this  sermon  the  flowers  were  His 
illustration  and  in  the  next  the  flying  birds  carried 
home  His  message  of  truth.  The  Apostle  Paul  also 
gloried  in  the  fact  that  he  could  be  all  things  to  all 
men,  if  by  all  means  he  might  save  some.  We, 
therefore,  in  these  modern  times,  need  not  be  afraid 
of  change  and  variety,  for  we  have  illustrious  exam- 
ples before  us. 

While  summering  one  time  on  the  shores  of  Lake 
George,  I  was  told  by  an  old  fisherman  that  if  I 
would  rise  early  in  the  morning,  row  across  the  lake 
and  anchor  my  boat  at  a  certain  point  I  could 
catch  any  number  of  fish,  and  almost  any  kind  that 
I  desired.  I  eagerly  waited  the  coming  of  the  day, 
rowed  across  the  bay,  anchored  my  boat  as  I  had 
been  told  and  cast  my  line  repeatedly,  never  once' 
having  a  strike.    At  last,  in  sheer  disgust,  I  was  lift- 

36 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


ing  my  anchor,  when  this  same  old  fisherman  rowed 
up  by  my  side  and  dropped  his  anchor,  making  rapid 
preparations  to  fish.  I  saw  him  cast  his  line  and 
draw  it  in  very  soon  without  a  fish  and  very  natur- 
ally I  was  pleased.  Then  I  saw  him  bend  down  for 
a  moment  in  the  bottom  of  his  boat,  work  very 
quickly  with  his  hands,  cast  his  line  the  second  time, 
and  instantly  draw  in  as  fine  a  fish  as  one  could 
hope  to  catch  in  inland  waters.  "How  in  the  world 
did  you  do  it?"  I  said  to  him,  and  without  stopping 
a  moment  in  his  work,  in  characteristic  fisher  fashion 
he  said,  "I  just  changed  my  bait." 

This  is  sometimes  very  necessary  in  our  fishing 
for  men.  If  one  thing  will  not  win,  then  let  us 
try  another.  If  one  method  fails,  without  in  the 
least  being  discouraged,  let  us  adopt  another  and 
keep  on  changing,  if  that  be  necessary,  until  at  last 
we  have  that  of  which  God  can  approve  and  which 
through  us  He  may  be  able  to  use.  It  is  hardly  pos- 
sible for  one  man  to  duplicate  another's  work.  The 
same  spirit  may  possess  them  both,  and  yet  while 
the  method  is  different,  the  results  may  be  practi- 
cally the   same,   and  that  is  the  important  thing. 

Again,  if  we  are  expecting  to  be  used  of  God  to  / 
win  men  to  Christ,  let  us  begin  with  those  nearest 
our  own  hands.  If  a  minister,  then  evangelize  your 
own  people  first.  If  a  business  man,  lead  your  own 
children,  your  own  employes,  or  your  own  friends 
first,  remembering  this,  that  when  we  fill  the  narrow 
circle  in  which  we  live  and  work,  God  will  lead  us 
out  into  the  broader  sphere  and  not  until. 

A  gentleman  came  up  to  one  of  my  friends  re- 

37 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


cently  and  said,  "I  have  about  decided  to  enter  upon 
evangelistic  work,  and  I  want  you  to  make  a  few 
suggestions  to  me.  I  have  decided  upon  my  field. 
I  shall  go  into  Colorado  or  California,  and  I  am  very 
sure  that  with  such  a  class  of  people  as  I  will  find 
there,  I  shall  be  successful."  My  friend  said  to 
him,  "Do  you  live  here?"  and  he  said,  "Yes,  sir, 
with  my  brothers  and  sisters."  "Then  may  I  ask  you 
this  question,  is  your  brother  a  Christian?"  "Well, 
no,"  he  said,  "he  is  not.  The  fact  is,  I  have  never 
asked  him."  "May  I  ask  if  your  sisters  are  Chris- 
tians?" "No,"  said  he,  "they  are  not,  for  as  a  mat- 
ter of  fact,  we  are  not  on  very  good  terms  with  each 
other  and  I  know  little  about  their  spiritual  condi- 
tion." Then  my  friend  turned  on  him  sharply  and 
said,  "God  will  never  use  you,  sir,  in  the  broader 
work  until  you  are  successful  in  your  home  field." 
Build  over  against  your  own  house  first,  and  then 
you  may  expect  God  to  want  you  elsewhere. 

And  finally  if  one  is  to  be  used  of  God  in  winning 
men,  he  must  give  the  strictest  attention  to  his  own 
personal  life,  his  habits  and  his  character. 

"Thou  must  be  true  thyself, 

If  thou  another  soul  wouldst  reach, 
It  needs  the  overflow  of  heart 
To  give  the  lips  full  speech." 

The  least  touch  with  the  world  robs  us  of  power. 
The  unconfessed  sin  will  take  the  ring  out  of  our 
testimony.  A  miserable  disposition  will  undo  all 
that  we  could  say  to  others  even  though  Jesus  Christ 
Himself  may  be   the  theme   of  our   conversation. 

38 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


There  is  one  prayer  which  every  Christian  worker 
ought  to  offer  at  the  beginning  and  through  his  life 
of  service.  "Search  me,  O  God,  and  know  my  heart. 
Try  me  and  know  my  thoughts  and  see  if  there  be 
any  wicked  way  in  me."  God  does  not  require  either 
golden  vessels  or  silver  vessels  for  His  use,  but  He 
must  have  vessels  that  are  clean.  If  we  are  cover- 
ing any  sin  in  our  lives,  this  will  be  a  barrier  to  the 
manifestation  of  divine  grace,  and  this  thought  is 
placed  last  in  order  that  it  may  come  with  special 
emphasis.  When  all  the  above  suggestions  have 
been  clearly  gotten  in  mind,  then  it  would  be  well 
for  us  to  wait  before  God  and  say,  "and  now,  my 
Father,  I  am  willing  to  do  or  to  be  anything,  only 
use  me."  I  doubt  not  the  experience  of  the  poet  is 
ours : 

"The  strong  man's  strength  to  toil  for  Christ, 

The  fervent  preacher's  skill, 
I  sometimes  wish,  but  better  far, 

To  be  just  what  God  wills; 
No  service  in  itself  is  small. 

None  great  though  earth  it  fill. 
But  that  is  small  which  seeks  its  own, 
That  great  which  seeks  God's  will." 


39 


CHAPTER   FIFTH. 

PERSONAL  EVANGELISM  FOR  MEN. 

However  much  emphasis  may  be  placed  upon 
the  pubhc  preaching  of  the  Gospel,  however  much 
importance  we  may  attach  to  general  evangelistic 
meetings,  after  all,  personal  evangelism  is  the  most 
important  part  of  all  our  work,  and  calls  at  this 
particular  time  in  the  church's  history  for  special 
attention.  It  is  not  difficult  to  approach  men  re- 
garding their  relations  to  Christ  and  eternity  if 
first  there  be  a  consistent  life,  and  then,  as  has  been 
elsewhere  stated,  a  perfectly  natural  way  of  present- 
ing the  claims  of  the  Son  of  God,  for  in  these  days 
no  man  has  a  right  to  be  indiflferent  to  Him  who  is 
the  central  figure  of  all  history,  who  is  God's  revela- 
tion to  man,  and  who  is  man's  best  friend  in  every 
emergency  of  his  life. 

You  need  not  fear  rebuff".  I  have  been  for  fifteen 
years  interested  in  the  special  work  for  men.  Natu- 
rally I  have  spoken  to  very  many  about  coming  to 
Christ.  In  all  that  time  I  have  had  but  one  rebuff. 
One  cold  stormy  day,  up  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
State  of  New  York,  accompanied  by  one  of  my 
church  officers,  I  drove  ten  miles  to  ask  a  gentle- 
man to  become  a  Christian  and  to  unite  with  the 
church.  Two  members  of  his  family  expected  to 
identify  themselves  with  us  and  it  seemed  an  oppor- 

40 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


tune  time  to  approach  the  husband  and  father.  The 
thermometer  registered  twenty  degrees  below  zero, 
and  hterally  in  an  ahnost  frozen  condition  I  reached 
the  farmer's  house,  met  him  half  way  between  his 
barn  and  his  house,  and  approached  him  at  once 
stating  the  object  of  my  visit,  "I  have  come,"  I 
said,  "to  ask  you  to  be  a  Christian  and  to  join  the 
church,"  and  with  flushed  face  and  blazing  eyes  he 
said,  "Well,  sir,  I  want  you  to  attend  to  your  own 
business,  and  when  I  want  you  to  speak  to  me  on 
this  matter,  I  will  send  for  you,  and  until  I  do, 
please  stay  away."  Without  inviting  me  into  his 
house,  he  turned  away  from  me.  I  stepped  into  the 
cutter  and  drove  back  ten  miles  through  the  storm, 
reaching  my  home  almost  insensible  from  the  cold. 
My  visit  seemed  a  failure. 

Ten  years  afterwards,  to  the  very  month  and 
almost  to  the  very  day,  I  Avas  preaching  in  the  First 
Methodist  Church,  Saratoga  Springs,  w^hen  a  man 
rose  in  the  audience,  saying,  "Please  pray  for  me." 
When  he  thought  I  did  not  see  him,  he  stepped  out 
into  the  aisle  and  began  walking  towards  the  front 
of  the  church.  Then  facing  the  great  audience  he 
said,  "Ten  years  ago  I  insulted  this  minister  when 
he  came  to  me  to  ask  me  to  be  a  Christian.  When 
I  entered  my  house,  my  daughter,  who  had  heard 
my  remark,  threw  her  arms  about  my  neck  and 
said,  'Oh,  father,  will  there  never  be  another 
chance?'  I  have  prayed  God  to  let  me  live  long 
enough  to  confess  Christ  in  this  minister's  presence ; 
I  do  it  now,  and  I  bear  testimony  to  this  fact  that 
never  in  all  my  life  was  I  so  profoundly  moved  as 


41 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


when  he  spoke  to  me  that  winter  day."     And  so  my 
journey,  after  all,  was  not  a  failure. 

I  am  making  no  plea  for  what  may  seem  to  be 
anything  like  fanaticism,  but  rather  just  for  con- 
sistency on  the  part  of  Christian  men  in  their  re- 
sponsibility for  other  people.  A  Christian  banker 
in  a  Pennsylvania  city  noticed  that  two  young  men 
in  the  bank,  after  business  hours,  were  accustomed 
to  the  use  of  profanity.  He  called  them  into  his 
office  and  said,  "Gentlemen,  I  am  a  Christian,  I  am 
responsible  for  this  banking  house,  and  so  long  as  I 
am,  you  cannot  be  profane.  What  you  do  outside 
of  the  bank  I  am  not  able  to  control,  but  what  you 
do  here  I  am  certainly  accountable  for.  May 
I  ask  you,"  he  said,  "where  you  are  living?"  and 
they  told  him  they  w^ere  living  in  boarding  houses 
in  the  city,  their  homes  being  elsewhere.  "Then 
may  I  ask  you,"  said  he,  "as  your  friend,  how  you 
spend  your  evenings,  and  if  your  mothers  are  liv- 
ing?" and  that  question  brought  the  tears  to  their 
eyes.  "Now,  gentlemen,"  said  he,  "I  do  not  want 
to  appeal  to  your  emotions,  but  no  man  can  be 
at  his  best  in  these  days  and  disregard  the  claims 
of  Jesus  Christ.  The  only  manly  life  to  live  is  the 
Christian  life."  Then  he  dismissed  them  from  his 
presence.  The  next  morning,  one  of  these  young 
men  entered  his  office  to  say :  "I  want  to  thank 
you  for  your  conversation.  Last  night  I  began  to 
read  my  bible  again  and  I  bowed  my  knees  in 
prayer."  Such  a  conversation  as  this  is  the  thing 
for  which  I  plead,  for  this  should  be  the  spirit 
of  Christian  business  men.     Thousands  of  vouns: 


42 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


men  could  be  kept  from  wandering  and  thousands 
more  could  be  won  to  Christ. 

One  reason  why  we  win  so  few  people  in  these 
days  is  because  we  are. so  unbusinesslike  in  our  ap- 
proach to  men.  One  of  the  bishops  of  the  Methodist 
Church  told  me  of  a  young  Methodist  minister  who, 
entering  upon  one  of  his  first  charges,  with  the  as- 
sistance of  one  of  his  official  men  made  a  list  of 
business  men  who  ought  to  be  identified  with  his 
church.  In  a  perfectly  business  like  manner,  he 
called  upon  them.  He  entered  one  bank,  and  said 
to  the  president:  "Sir,  I  am  the  pastor  of  the 
Methodist  Church,  and  a  minister  of  Jesus  Christ. 
At  your  convenience,  I  would  like  to  talk  with  you 
about  your  soul,  and  I  have  come  to  ask  you  to  make 
an  appointment  with  me."  The  hour  set  was  four 
o'clock  the  next  day.  Before  the  minister  had  left 
the  banking  house  after  his  second  visit,  he  had  won 
the  banker  to  Christ.  I  am  persuaded  that  this 
spirit  would  win  in  many  instances. 

One  of  my  friends,  beginning  a  new  pastorate, 
determined  to  speak  personally  to  every  one  of  his 
congregation  about  their  soul's  welfare.  He  ap- 
proached his  organist  first  and  asked  him  if  he  were 
a  Christian  and,  to  his  amazement,  found  that  he 
was  not,  and  yet  he  had  been  twenty-five  years  play- 
ing the  organ  in  dififerent  churches.  "Would  you 
mind  telling  me  frankly  why  you  are  not?"  said  my 
friend,  and  the  answer  given  with  tears  was  this: 
"With  the  exception  of  my  mother,  you  are  the  only 
person  in  all  my  life  that  has  ever  asked  me  to  be 
a  Christian.     I  thank  vou  for  vour  interest,  and  I 


43 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


will  give  tlie  subject  my  attention."  In  less  than 
two  weeks  he  was  a  professed  follower  of  Jesus 
Christ  and  a  member  of  the  church. 

I  am  sure  that  many  of  us  are  failing  in  our  work 
just  here.  We  let  opportunities  for  speaking  to 
others  slip  away  from  us,  and  while  we  are  busy 
with  trifling  things,  souls  pass  into  eternity,  alas, 
unsaved. 

As  I  journeyed  on  the  train  the  other  day,  travel- 
ing westward,  I  saw  in  the  section  opposite  my 
own  a  woman  who  was  weeping  bitterly.  I  crossed 
over  to  her  and  said :  "I  am  a  minister,  and  if  I 
can  serve  you  in  any  way,  it  would,  give  me  pleas- 
ure." I  learned  that  her  husband,  from  whom  she 
had  been  separated  on  a  visit,  had  been  suddenly 
taken  ill,  and  she  was  hurrying  from  New  York  to 
her  Colorado  home,  hoping  to  see  him  before  he 
died.  In  Chicago  she  had  received  the  message  that 
he  was  dead,  and  she  seemed  well  nigh  heart  broken. 
Among  other  things,  I  asked  her  if  her  husband 
was  a  Christian.  She  told  me  he  was  not.  Then 
later  she  said  that  formerly  he  was  a  member  of  a 
church,  but  in  his  western  home  where  he  had  lived 
twenty-five  years  he  had  never  united  with  the 
church.  I  asked  her  if  he  know  any  minister  inti- 
mately, and  she  said:  "Oh,  yes,  one  of  them  used 
frequently  to  visit  him.  They  talked  and  laughed 
about  various  matters,  but  my  husband  used  to 
come  home  very  often  and  say :  'I  wonder  why  he 
never  asks  me  to  enter  his  church?  I  would  be 
so  glad  if  he  would.'"  And  I  said  to  her:  "Do 
you  think  he  would  have  responded  favorably  ?"  and 

44 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


then  with  a  sob  she  answered:  "My  husband  and 
I  have  been  ready  for  years  to  enter  the  church,  but 
no  one  in  our  western  home  has  ever  invited  us." 
This  is  a  solemn  charge  to  bring  against  the  church, 
but  alas,  in  too  many  instances  it  is  a  just  charge. 

There  are  many  ways  by  means  of  which  we  could 
win  men  to  Christ. 

First.    Speak  to  them  personally.    One  good  rule  ^)     ^ 

is  this :  Whenever  you  have  an  impression  that 
you  ought  to  speak  to  any  one  about  his  soul,  go 
at  once  to  follow  your  leading.  As  a  rule,  it  is  true 
that  when  God  moves  you  to  go,  he  is  moving  an- 
other to  receive  you.  "A  word  fitly  spoken  is  like 
apples  of  gold  in  pitchers  of  silver," 

Second.  If  you  are  unable  to  speak,  then  write  a 
letter  praying  its  truth  home  as  you  write  and  com- 
mitting it  to  God  that  He  may  work  through  it. 
Not  long  ago  I  met,  personally,  the  Chief  Justice 
of  the  Supreme  Court  of  one  of  our  western  states, 
and  learned  from  his  own  lips,  and  later  from  the 
minister  who  had  been  instrumental  in  his  conver- 
sion, the  story  of  his  coming  to  Christ.  He  was  a 
brilliant  lawyer,  but  unsaved,  and  the  minister  be- 
came greatly  concerned  for  him.  He  was  afraid 
to  speak  to  him  because  of  his  prominent  position, 
so  he  wrote  a  letter  to  him,  but  before  he  could  mail 
it  his  courage  failed  him,  and  he  tore  it  up.  Then 
his  wife  came  to  the  rescue,  and  said:  "Write  an- 
other letter  and  we  will  pray  earnestly  about  it." 
The  letter  was  written  and  a  little  booklet,  by  Mr. 
Spurgeon,  was  slipped  into  it.  The  letter  was  car- 
ried to  the  Chief  Justice,  and  they  waited  eagerly 

45 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


for  a  reply.  Soon  it  came  in  the  Justices  own  hand- 
writing: ''My  dear  Sir:  Your  kind  letter  and  the  lit- 
tle book  have  been  received  and  read.  I  have  been 
waiting  for  this  message  for  fifteen  years,  and  I 
write  to  tell  you  that  because  of  your  appeal  I  have 
given  myself  to  Jesus  Christ."  No  more  devoted 
loyal  Christian  have  I  met  in  many  a  day  than  the 
Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  this  western 
state. 

Third.  If  you  would  win  a  soul  to  Christ,  whether 
you  speak  or  write,  by  all  means  pray.  We  have 
come  to  a  tirrie  when  we  are  quite  disposed  to  think 
ot  prayer  as  spent  force.  In  a  great  city,  the  other 
day,  my  own  faith  was  mightily  strengthened  in 
prayer.  A  man  came  to  speak  to  me,  boasting  of 
his  infidelity.  His  remarks  were  so  blasphemous 
that  I  threatened  to  leave  him,  and  with  a  half 
spoken  apology  he  told  me  that  his  boy  was  dan- 
gerously ill.  I  think  it  the  conviction  that  God  was 
going  to  use  that  for  his  conversion.  At  a  noon- 
day business  meeting  following  my  interview,  the 
following  request  was  placed  in  my  hands:  "Kindly 
at  noon  to-day  have  your  Christian  hearers  join 
with  you  in  prayer  for  the  sick  son  of  an  unbelieving 
father  who  cannot  pray,  and  makes  the  request  at 
the  asking  of  a  prayerful  Christian  wife."  This  son 
was  dying  of  pleuro-pneumonia.  When  the  father 
had  left  the  home  in  the  morning,  the  case  seemed 
hopeless.  Just  before  noon  the  physician  gave  up 
all  hope.  His  temperature  was  beyond  the  danger 
point  and,  humanly  speaking,  he  was  practically 
hopeless.      Between    twelve    and    half    past    twelve 

46 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


o'clock,  seven  hundred  men  bowed  in  prayer,  and 
Major  James  H.  Cole  rose  to  voice  our  petitions. 
He  prayed  as  I  never  heard  him  pray  before.  It 
seemed  as  if  the  windows  to  Heaven  were  truly 
open  above  us.  Here  is  the  answer  to  his  prayer : 
Between  half  past  twelve  and  one  o'clock  the  boy's 
condition  suddenly  changed,  his  temperature  miracu- 
lously dropped  to  normal,  and  when  the  physician 
came  expecting  to  find  him  dead,  he  had  passed  the 
danger  point  and  his  recovery  was  made  by  leaps 
and  bounds.  The  following  Sunday  that  father 
stood  in  a  meeting  for  men,  saying,  with  great  emo- 
tion :  "I  have  been  an  unbeliever  and  have 
blasphemed  God,  but  to-day  I  desire  to  say  that  I 
want  to  know  the  God  that  has  answered  your  pray- 
ers for  my  boy,  and  so  far  as  I  know  the  way,  I 
will  yield  myself  to  Him."  Step  by  step  he  has  come 
out  into  an  ever  brightening  Christian  experience. 

Does  it  not  seem  easy  to  be  a  soul  winner?  It 
is  not  simply  given  to  those  who  are  rich  or  wise  or 
great  in  the  estimation  of  men,  but  the  work  is  for 
every  one  who  will  truly  live  Christ  and  honestly 
feel  a  burden  of  responsibility  for  others. 

While  preaching  in  New  York  recently,  my  at- 
tention was  repeatedly  drawn  to  a  gentleman,  who, 
with  his  wife,  was  present  at  almost  every  service. 
I  learned  afterwards  that  the  wife  was  a  Christian, 
and  that  this  husband  was  an  honest  inquirer.  The 
last  evening  but  one  of  the  meetings,  I  was  preach- 
ing on  the  text,  "Except  a  man  be  born  again,"  and 
at  the  close  of  the  service  this  gentleman  deliberately 
rose  and  clearly  and  definitely  accepted  Christ  as  a 

47 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


Savior.  The  next  afternoon  I  was  preaching  in  a 
neighboring  church.  Just  as  I  was  passing  out  of 
the  service,  I  was  asked  to  stop  and  meet  a  httle 
boy.  I  noticed  that  he  was  lame,  and  his  face  bore 
not  only  the  marks  of  suffering,  but  had  that  pecu- 
liar expression  which  belongs  to  one  who  is  almost 
nearer  Heaven  than  earth.  Some  illness  had  made 
it  necessary  to  amputate  one  of  his  legs,  and  leaning 
on  his  crutches,  he  said  to  me :  "I  am  so  glad  that 
my  father  came  to  Christ,"  and  then  the  minister  told 
me  the  story  of  the  gentleman  whose  decision  had 
been  made  the  night  before.  When  the  meetings 
began,  this  little  boy  had  insisted  that  his  mother 
should  see  to  it  that  his  father  was  present  at  every 
service.  Said  he:  "I  cannot  go,  I  know,  but  while 
you  are  with  him  in  the  meeting,  I  will  pray."  Each 
night  when  the  parents  entered  the  door,  the  child's 
first  inquiry  would  be  as  to  the  father's  acceptance 
of  Christ.  One  evening  it  was  raining  furiously  in 
the  city,  and  the  father  had  determined  to  stay  at 
home,  but  at  the  boy's  urgent  plea  he  went  to  the 
church,  with  the  result  that  I  have  mentioned  pre- 
viously, namely,  his  conversion.  That  night,  when 
they  came  home,  the  boy  said  to  him :  "You  need 
not  tell  me,  for  I  know  what  you  have  done."  Said 
the  little  fellow  to  me:  "I  never  would  have  given 
him  up  so  long  as  I  lived."  When  the  father  came 
to  bid  me  good-bye  at  the  last  service,  he  said :  "I 
want  to  thank  you  for  your  words  spoken  to  me  in 
the  sermon,  but  I  am  compelled  to  say  that  the 
earnest  prayer  and  the  unwavering  faith  of  my  lame 
boy  forced  me  to  do  what  I  did,  and  I  never  can 

48 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


express  my  pleasure  at  the  result  of  this  new  stand 
which  I  have  taken," 

So  you  see  it  is  not  necessary  that  we  should  be 
great  or  strong  to  be  winners  of  souls  if  our  lives 
are  right  and  our  prayers  are  as  they  should  be. 
We  can  win  to  the  Savior  those  for  whom  we  are 
concerned,  and  that  is  not  only  joy  here,  but 
throughout  eternity. 

If  I  could  know  that  word  or  deed 
Of  mine  had  helped  a  soul  in  need, 
Had  given  comfort,  eased  the  smart 
Of  some  poor,  tortured,  aching  heart, 
With  what  rare  joy  my  heart  would  glow. 
If  I  could  know !  If  I  could  know ! 

If  one  should  whisper  in  my  ear, 

"Your  words  have  made  me  stronger,  sir. 

To  fight  this  evil  thing  within. 

That  leads  me  often  into  sin" — 

Life's  darkened  ways  would  brighter  grow, 

If  I  could  know !  If  I  could  know ! 

Each  day  I  ask  the  Lord  to  bless 
Some  act  of  mine  to  fruitfulness. 
And  though  I  know  not  how  or  where 
He  sends  the  answer  to  my  prayer, 
When  I  into  His  presence  go. 
Then  I  shall  know  !  Then  I  shall  know  ! 

D 


49 


CHAPTER   SIXTH. 

HOW  SOME  MEN  HAVE  BEEN  WON  TO 
CHRIST. 

One  reason  why  so  many  people  in  the  church 
have  been  unsuccessful  in  Christian  work  is  that 
they  make  it  too  difficult  a  matter.  One  ought  to 
work  for  Christ  as  he  plays  golf,  that  is,  with  per- 
fect freedom.  No  muscle  must  be  on  a  tension 
with  the  golf  player.  There  must  be  perfect  rhythm 
in  all  his  actions.  This  is  a  homely  illustration  of 
the  spirit  of  Christian  work,  yet  a  true  one.  Noth- 
ing that  savors  of  cant  and  nothing  that  even  hints 
at  the  unnatural  must  for  a  moment  be  expected  to 
win  in  the  turning  of  lost  men  to  Christ.  Do  your 
work  in  the  easiest  way.  Talk  about  your  Savior  in 
the  most  natural  fashion.  Present  Him  to  your 
friends  as  your  best  fricntl.  Show  by  your  counte- 
nance that  He  is  even  more  than  you  claim  for  Him. 
All  this  must  be  backed  up  by  consistent  Christian 
living,  and  there  will  be  little  question  of  real  suc- 
cess in  the  effort. 

There  are,  as  a  rule,  many  forces  back  of  the  one 
in  whose  behalf  we  labor  of  which  we  do  well  to 
take  advantage. 

The  influence  of  a  mother  counts  for  more  than 
any  human  power.  In  the  presence  of  a  great 
audience  of  men  recently,  I  asked  this  question : 
"How  many  here  came  to  Christ  as  a  direct  or  indi- 

50 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


rect  result  of  a  mother's  influence?"  and  two-thirds 
of  the  Christian  men  in  the  audience  immediately 
sprang  to  their  feet  to  testify  to  the  power  of  the 
holy  living  and  consistent  working  of  their  mothers, 
many  of  whom  had  passed  over  on  the  other  shore. 
A  group  of  rough  miners  in  Leadville,  Colorado, 
gave  me  a  respectful  hearing,  but  rather  an  indif- 
ferent one,  until  I  casually  mentioned  a  mother's 
love.  Instantly  there  was  a  change  in  the  facial 
expression  of  almost  every  man  present  and  here 
and  there  tears  were  being  brushed  away  from 
hardened  faces  as  the  picture  of  their  mothers 
passed  before  them.  In  a  successful  meal's  meet- 
ing, conducted  by  Dr.  Alderson  in  his  own  church, 
a  traveling  man,  quite  young  in  years,  arose  and 
told,  very  modestly  and  feelingly,  the  following 
pathetic  story: 

"Before  I  left  home  to  go  on  the  road,  I  had 
fallen  into  many  bad  habits,  which  gave  my  Chris- 
tian mother  great  concern  and  anxiety.  She  feared 
the  result  upon  my  life  after  I  got  beyond  the  in- 
fluence of  my  home  and  came  into  contact  with  the 
'drummer's'  temptations.  I  was  a  card-player  and 
very  fond  of  the  amusement.  I  knew  that  many 
'drummers'  spent  their  leisure  evenings  at  the  hotel 
and  saloon  card  table,  for  I  had  myself  often  played 
with  them  when  the}-  stopped  over  night  in  our 
town.  I  felt  that  one  of  the  first  requisites  of  a 
traveling  man's  outfit  was  a  pack  of  cards.  So  the 
afternoon  before  I  was  to  leave  home  I  purchased 
a  brand  new  deck,  and  went  to  bed  that  night  leav- 
ing them  in  my  coat  pocket.    The  next  morning  I 

51 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


started  on  the  road.  Just  as  I  was  leaving  home 
my  mother  kissed  me,  then  laid  her  face  against  my 
cheek,  and  in  a  few  words  pleaded  with  me  to  be 
a  good  boy  and  not  forget  my  Christian  home.  I 
felt  her  warm  tears  flow  down  my  cheek.  The  first 
night  out  found  me  at  Winchester,  Ky.  Meeting 
several  traveling  men  during  the  day,  we  agreed  to 
put  up  at  the  same  hotel,  and  after  supper  spend 
the  evening  with  cards.  When  the  time  came,  as 
we  were  seated  around  the  table,  one  of  the  men 
asked:  'Who  has  got  a  pack  of  cards?'  Quickly 
I  responded:  'I've  got  the  cards  all  right.'  Thrust- 
ing my  hand  into  my  coat  pocket  I  pulled  out  a 
little  package  wrapped  exactly  as  I  had  put  it  into 
my  pocket  the  day  before,  and  just  about  the  same 
size.  Unwrapping  it  in  the  presence  of  the  others, 
all  eyes  fixed  upon  my  action,  what  was  my  astonish- 
ment and  mortification  to  find  instead  of  cards  a 
copy  of  the  New  Testament,  which  my  mother 
some  time  in  the  small  hours  of  the  night  had 
dexterously  substituted  for  my  cards.  I  blushed 
and  apologized,  and  confessed  to  my  friends.  We 
were  all  deeply  afifected.  My  dear  mother  broke 
me  not  only  of  playmg  cards,  but  she  has  been  the 
means  of  bringing  me  to  Christ,  and  whenever  now 
I  am  tempted  to  do  wrong,  I  can  feel  the  hot  tears 
of  my  mother  trickling  down  my  face." 

The  influence  of  a  father  is  not  to  be  forgotten. 
Too  frequently  in  paying  tribute  to  mother's  devo- 
tion do  we  forget  to  pay  our  respects  to  the  con- 
sistent living  and  the  faithful  working  of  the  Chris- 
tian fathers  of  our  land.     "How  did  you  come  to 


52 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


Christ?"  said  one  minister  to  another.  The  quick 
response  was :  "My  father's  wresthng  for  us  at  the 
family  altar  did  it.  He  used  to  call  us  by  name  in 
his  prayers,  and  I  never  could  get  away  from  his 
praying."  "And  how  did  you  come?"  was  asked 
another,  and  the  answer  given  was:  "It  was  the 
evening  of  the  day  on  which  my  mother  was  buried, 
and  we  children,  with  our  broken-hearted  father, 
were  sitting  in  the  log  house  on  the  frontier  before 
a  blazing  fire.  I  saw  my  father  cutting  away  a 
small  piece  of  wood  and  was  interested  to  see  that 
he  had  fashioned  a  cross  which  he  could  hold  be- 
tween his  thumb  and  finger.  Then  holding  it  up 
before  us  in  the  flickering  light,  he  told  us  the  story 
of  Jesus  Christ  cradled  in  a  manger,  living  in  Naza- 
reth, preaching  in  Galilee,  sufifering  in  the  Garden 
and  dying  on  just  such  a  cross  as  he  held  up  before 
us.  In  an  impassioned  way,  he  called  us  to  our 
mother's  Savior  and  because  of  his  own  holy  liv- 
ing, that  night  every  child  came  to  Christ." 

I  would  like  to  pay  tribute  to  my  own  father's 
devotion  to  his  children  in  this  connection.  As  a 
motherless  boy,  temptations  came  upon  me  thick  and 
fast.  My  father  one  day  called  me  to  his  side  and 
said:  "My  son,  I  have  always  tried  to  live  as  I 
should  before  you.  If  in  any  way  I  have  failed,  I 
beg  your  pardon  and  ask  your  forgiveness.  May 
I -say  to  you,  my  boy,  that  if  you  ever  disgrace 
your  father's  name,  and  are  unworthy  of  your  angel 
mother's  love,  you  will  kill  me."  One  night  there 
came  to  me  a  sharp,  sudden  temptation  to  do  at 
least  a  questionable  thing.    I  started  down  the  street 


53 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


of  the  city  where  I  then  Hved,  when  suddenly,,  as  I 
came  to  a  street  corner,  and  was  just  about  to  turn 
into  the  way  which  would,  I  believe,  have  inevitably 
meant  death,  there  came  up  before  me  the  words  of 
my  father,  and  I  think  that  I  am  a  minister  to-day 
because  of  a  father's  devotion  to  his  children  and 
his  earnest  desire  to  hold  us  for  Christ. 

While  preaching  in  Chicago,  a  young  man  was 
most  hopefully  converted.  He  was  a  graduate  of  a 
southern  college,  had  been  admitted  to  the  bar,  and 
while  giving  every  evidence  of  achieving  success  in 
his  work,  he  was  restless,  dissatisfied  and  in  great 
danger  of  being  wrecked  morally.  In  our  meeting 
I  used  the  illustration  of  Jonah  attempting  to  go 
to  Tarshish  when  God  wanted  him  to  proceed  to 
Nineveh,  and  I  said  that  because  of  this  everything 
was  against  him.  This  brought  the  young  man  to 
a  realization  of  his  condition,  he  saw  whither  he 
was  drifting,  realized  why  it  was  that  he  had  been 
so  disturbed  and  distressed,  and  by  an  act  of  his  will 
he  stepped  out  of  almost  midnight  darkness  into  the 
clear  light  of  the  knowledge  of  God.  The  next  day 
he  gave  this  touching  testimony  m  the  presence  of 
a  great  number  of  men:  "Gentlemen,"  said  he,  "I 
have  had  peace  and  blessing  during  the  last  twenty- 
four  hours,  but  may  I  say  that  1  believe  the  only 
thing  that  has  influenced  my  life  during  these  years 
of  my  wandering  and  kept  me  back  from  doing 
many  a  thing  that  I  might  otherwise  have  done, 
has  been  the  memory  of  my  father."  Then  he  drew 
from  his  pocl>et  his  father's  picture,  and  holding  it 
up  he  said,  shaking  with  great  emotion :     "This  is 

54 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


my  father's  picture.  I  always  have  thought  it  the 
noblest  and  best  picture  in  the  world.  He  has  been 
dead  for  five  years,  and  during  all  that  time  this 
face  has  haunted  me.  I  knew  that  he  wanted  me 
to  be  a  Christian  and  preach  the  Gospel,  but  I  hesi- 
tated and  grieved  him  inexpressibly.  During  all 
these  years  I  could  not  get  away  from  his  look.  But 
during  the  past  twenty-four  hours,  everything  has 
been  changed.  I  am  now  looking  towards  that  day 
when  I  shall  see  him  once  again  with  that  happy 
smile  once  more  upon  his  features,  for  I  have  de- 
termined to  preach  the  Gospel." 

These  are  but  a  few  illustrations.  They  could  be 
multiplied  indefinitely.  Given  a  boy  with  a  true 
mother  and  a  noble  father,  both  of  them  Christians, 
and  there  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  the  ultimate 
winning  of  that  boy  to  Christ  will  be  almost  abso- 
lutely certain. 

The  experiences  through  which  men  pass  are  not 
to  be  lost  sight  of  when  attempting  to  win  them  to 
Jesus  Christ.  The  loss  of  a  mother,  an  experience 
in  sickness,  the  sudden  accident  which  almost  meant 
death,  these  things  are  as  a  rule  to  be  taken  into 
account  when  we  attempt  to  win  the  lost  to  Him. 
One  of  my  best  friends  in  New  York,  an  honored 
officer  of  a  strong  church,  once  told  me  this  story 
which  aptly  illustrates  my  point.  He  said,  "When 
I  was  a  boy  of  about  twelve  years  of  age  I  went  with 
my  parents  and  a  brother  who  was  two  years  older 
than  myself,  to  spend  the  summer  vacation  at  a  lake 
in  the  northern  part  of  the  State  of  New  York. 
This  lake  was  like  home  to  me,  for  from  my  earliest 

55 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


infancy  my  family  had  been  passing  the  summers 
there.  My  brother  and  myself  had  been  in  the  habit 
of  going  out  on  the  lake  to  fish,  but  always  accom- 
panied by  an  older  person.  The  day  that  I  am 
writing  about  I  shall  never  forget.  My  brother 
and  myself  had  been  more  than  anxious  to  go  fish- 
ing by  ourselves  and  with  boyhood's  enthusiasm  be- 
lieved if  allowed  to  do  so  we  would  show  what 
wonderful  fishermen  we  really  were  and  would  re- 
turn with  a  string  of  fish  that  would  fairly  astonish 
our  parents  and  the  other  guests  of  the  hotel  where 
we  were  stopping.  After  numerous  entreaties,  our 
father  had  finally  given  his  consent,  with  the  distinct 
promise  on  our  part  that  whenever  it  became  neces- 
sary for  us  to  change  seats,  we  would  first  take  the 
boat  ashore  before  attempting  to  do  so,  and  on  no 
account  would  we  stand  up  in  the  boat.  The  event- 
ful day  finally  arrived,  and  bright  and  early,  with 
our  poles,  tackle  and  bait,  we  got  into  our  boat  and 
started.  We  kept  our  promise  that  we  had  made, 
not  to  stand  up  in  the  boat,  and  all  went  well.  The 
time  came  for  us  to  return,  and  as  my  brother  rowed 
the  boat  back  to  the  hotel  we  discovered  that  during 
our  absence  an  old  scow,  loaded  with  wood,  had  ar- 
rived and  been  tied  up  to  the  end  of  the  dock.  Then 
it  was  that  I  forgot  the  promise  that  up  to  this  time 
had  been  so  carefully  kept,  and  I  said  to  my  brother, 
'You  row  quietly  by  the  old  scow  and  I  will  step  out 
on  it  and  run  up  to  the  house  and  let  the  people 
know  we  are  home,  and  you  take  the  boat  around 
to  the  shore  and  put  her  up.'  I  stood  up,  I  made  a 
step,   the  boat   slipped  away   from  me,   I  lost   my 

56 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


balance,  and  in  an  instant  I  found  myself  unable  to 
swim  in  twenty  feet  of  water.  Quickly  I  went  to 
the  bottom ;  with  eyes  closed  from  fright,  I  came  to 
the  surface  only  to  sink  again.  I  tried  in  every  way 
to  swim,  but  every  efifort  only  made  my  case  more 
hopeless.  I  think  every  sin  that  I  had  committed 
came  into  my  mind,  and  foremost  was  the  fact  that 
I  had  disobeyed  my  father.  Presently  I  realized 
that  the  next  time  I  would  sink  would  be  the  last, 
when  suddenly  I  heard  a  voice  ringing  in  my  ears, 
'Catch  hold  of  my  hand,'  then  my  eyes  were  opened 
and  I  saw  my  brother,  who  had  backed  up  the  boat, 
leaning  as  far  as  he  could  over  the  stern  of  the  boat 
and  with  outstretched  hand  trying  to  reach  me,  I 
caught  hold  of  his  hand,  when  he  drew  me  gently 
towards  him,  and  then  putting  his  arms  around  me 
he  lifted  me,  with  such  a  strength  as  I  never  knew 
he  possessed,  safely  into  the  boat  and  took  me  to  the 
shore.  Years  passed  by,  I  grew  to  be  a  man,  I  mar- 
ried and  had  a  family  of  my  own.  I  was  not  a 
Christian ;  far  from  it.  On  account  of  my  family  I 
was  a  pewholder  in  one  of  the  prominent  churches 
of  New  York.  I  had  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  the  re- 
ligious teachings  of  my  parents.  I  had  grown  in- 
different. I  came  to  the  place  where  I  really  did 
not  care  for  God  or  man.  One  night,  when  I  went 
home  from  business,  I  found  waiting  for  me  in  my 
home  the  pastor  of  the  church  I  attended.  He  said 
something  like  this:  'I  have  come  to  ask  you  if 
you  will  come  up  to  church  Monday  night.    We  are 

to  hold  a  week  of  special  services.    Mr.  M ,  the 

evangelist,  is  to  be  with  us,  and  I  want  you  to  come.' 


57 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


I  was  angry  for  what  I  called  unwarranted  inter- 
ference, and  so  I  said :    'Dr. ,  thank  you,  I  will 

promise  you  not  to  come.  I  am  glad  to  see  you  on 
any  other  subject,  but  on  this  subject  let  me  say  I 
go  to  church  on  Sunday ;  on  other  days  I  want  to 
be  left  alone.'  How  many  times  have  I  wished  that 
I  had  never  so  spoken  to  him  ! 

"Monday  night  came.  I  went  home  and  found 
my  wife  ready  to  go  to  church.  I  didn't  want  her 
to  go  alone,  neither  was  I  willing  to  go,  and  so  a 
compromise  was  effected.  I  was  to  take  her  to  the 
church  door  and  call  for  her  an  hour  later.  She 
went  into  the  service.  I  stood  outside.  It  was  a 
bitter  cold  night,  and  at  times  I  felt  as  if  I  would 
perish,  and  yet  I  would  not  go  in.  Finally  I  could 
stand  it  no  longer,  and  I  decided  that  I  would  go 
in  and  take  a  back  seat  and  get  warm.  Thank  God 
I  got  warm  that  night,  and  I  have  been  warm  ever 
since.  As  the  evangelist  was  speaking  it  seemed  as 
if  he  knew  me.  He  pictured  my  case  exactly,  dis- 
obedient to  God,  indifferent  to  His  word,  forgetful 
of  the  prayers  and  religious  influence  that  parents 
had  surrounded  me  with  in  childhood.  Then  there 
flashed  through  my  heart  and  mind  the  picture  of 
my  boyhood's  days,  as  I  struggled  in  the  water  and 
I  could  see  myself  now  sinking  in  the  waves  of  sin 
and,  believing  this  was  my  last  opportunity,  that 
soon  I  would  be  lost,  then  I  could  hear  the  voice  of 
Jesus  say,  'Take  hold  of  My  hand.'  By  faith  my  eyes 
were  opened.  I  saw  Him  then  in  all  His  beauty  and 
heard  Him  say,  'Come  unto  mc'  By  faith  I  took 
His  hand ;  He  has  put  His  great  loving  arms  around 

58 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


nie,  and  with  a  strength  I  never  even  knew  my  elder 
brother  possessed,  has  Hfted  me  out  of  my  distresses 
and  is  now  guiding  and  taking  me  safely  to  the 
Heavenly  shore. 

"Some  fifteen  years  have  now  passed  since  I  found 
Christ.  A  few  years  ago  I  visited  the  old  lake  up 
north.  I  rowed  by  the  old  dock.  A  similar  old 
wood  scow  was  again  tied  up  to  the  dock.  As  I  told 
my  wife  and  children  who  were  with  me  in  the  boat 
of  my  narrow  escape  from  drowning  when  I  was  a 
boy  I  also  told  them  of  my  narrow  escape  in  later 
years  from  being  lost  in  the  waves  of  sin.  To-day 
we  have  a  happy  home,  every  member  of  the  family 
is  a  member  of  God's  family,  and  Jesus  Christ  is  a 
welcome  guest  in  our  home.  I  have  been  telling 
the  simple  story  of  Christ's  love  for  sinful  men  ever 
since  He  saved  me,  and  I  expect  to  tell  it  right  along 
until  I  shall  see  Him  face  to  face." 


59 


CHAPTER  SEVENTH. 

A  WORD  WITH  THE  HEAD  OF  THE 
HOUSE. 

"For  I  know  him,  that  he  will  command  his  chil- 
dren, and  his  household  after  him."    Genesis  i8:  19. 

Riding  through  the  country  not  long  ago  with 
one  of  the  bishops  of  the  Methodist  church,  I  said 
to  him :  "What  is  the  special  truth  to-day  needing 
emphasis  in  our  teaching?"  He  responded  quickly: 
"A  better  home  life."  This  being  true,  there  is  no 
one  of  greater  importance  in  the  consideration  of 
this  subject  than  the  head  of  the  household,  the 
father  and  the  husband.  You  always  do  well  to  tie 
to  the  man  in  whom  the  Lord  has  confidence.  He 
loves  us  all  and  will  continue  to  love  us  unto  the  end, 
but  He  trusts  only  a  few,  it  would  seem.  The  world 
usually  bases  its  opinion  of  us  upon  our  reputation, 
God  always  bases  His  upon  character.  He  is  truly 
a  great  man  and  a  good  man  of  whom  God  could 
say  as  in  the  text  above  quoted :  "For  I  know  him, 
that  he  will  command  his  children  and  his  house- 
hold after  him." 

There  are  two  or  three  things  in  particular  in  the 
story  of  Abram  which  should  be  remembered,  for 
they  show  God's  appreciation  of  him : 

First.  When  Lot  was  separated  from  Abram 
and  he  stood  alone,  Abram  permitted  God  to  choose 
for  him.  You  can  only  fully  trust  that  man  who 
allows  God  this  privilege. 

60 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


Second.  Do  not  forget  that  picture  of  him  as  he 
sat  at  the  door  of  the  tent  at  noon,  when  three  men 
in  shining  garments  stood  before  him ;  they  were 
angels.  The  principal  one  was  the  Angel  of  the 
Covenant  or  the  Angel  of  the  Lord.  Happy  that 
man  in  whose  home  the  Lord  loves  to  tarry  and 
in  whose  home  there  is  nothing  to  forbid  His  resting 
for  a  little  while.  How  would  it  be  in  your  ov/n 
home?  His  will  is  that  husbands  should  love  their 
wives,  that  wives  should  obey  their  husbands,  that 
children  should  honor  their  parents,  that  parents 
should  not  provoke  their  children  to  wrath,  and  He 
cannot  tarry  where  there  is  the  least  contention  or 
strife.  Have  you  noticed  the  question  that  the  angel 
of  the  Lord  put  to  Abram :  ''Where  is  Sarai,  thy 
wife?"  he  said.  How  did  He  know  that  he  had  a 
wife,  or  that  her  name  was  Sarai?  For  the  very 
reason  that  the  eyes  of  God  are  upon  us  always. 
He  is  taking  note  of  all  we  do.  He  weighs  our 
motives  and  reads  our  thoughts  and  numbers  our 
households,  and  Abram  stood  this  test,  so  the  scrip- 
ture was  true  of  him. 

Third.  There  is  some  significance  in  the  fact  that 
Abram  had  what  Lot  did  not  have.  Three  angels 
came  to  him,  but  only  two  to  Lot.  The  Angel  of 
the  Covenant  did  not  go  into  Sodom.  Both  of  these 
men,  Abram  and  Lot,  were  God's  chosen  ones,  but 
the  difference  was  that  Abram  dwelt  in  Canaan 
while  Lot  dwelt  in  the  cities  of  the  plain.  We  may 
as  well  remember  that  God  only  dwells  with  the  man 
whose  life  is  according  to  His  will.  What  an  il- 
lustration Christ  was  in  this  respect !    "I  come  to  do 

6i 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


Thy  will,"  He  said.  This  was  His  Hfe.  "My  meat 
is  to  do  Thy  will."  It  was  His  food.  "He  that 
doeth  the  will  of  God  the  same  is  my  brother  and 
sister  and  mother."  In  that  society  He  lived  and 
lives  to-day.  "Teach  me  to  do  Thy  will."  It  was 
His  whole  education.  "I  delight  to  do  Thy  will." 
It  was  His  constant  pleasure.  "He  that  doeth  the 
will  of  God  abideth  forever."  It  makes  provision 
for  our  eternity. 

I  know  how  much  of  holy  sentiment  there  is  about 
the  name  of  mother,  and  I  would  not  detract  in  the 
least  from  it,  but  have  you  ever  noticed  how  the 
Bible  exalts  the  love  of  a  father?  When  the  tender- 
ness of  God  is  to  be  pictured  it  is  in  these  words: 
"Like  as  a  father  pitieth  his  children,"  and  again 
in  the  story  of  Jacob,  when  he  said :  "Me  ye  have 
bereft  of  my  children,"  and  still  again  in  the  sob 
of  David,  when  he  cried  out:  "O  Absalom,  Absa- 
lom !"  or  in  the  picture  in  the  New  Testament  of 
the  father  who  wailed  for  the  prodigal  to  return. 
The  records  of  the  church  have  been  made  glorious 
by  the  stories  of  the  faithfulness  of  fathers  as  well 
as  the  devotion  of  mothers.  In  the  autobiography 
of  John  G.  Paton,  the  missionary  to  the  New 
Hebrides,  the  great  missionary  attributes  most  of 
the  blessing  of  his  life  to  the  influence  of  his  father. 
The  boy  is  on  his  way  to  Glasgow  to  begin  his  life 
work,  and  he  says : 

"My  father  walked  with  me  six  miles.  His  coun- 
sel, his  tears,  his  heavenly  conversation  are  as  fresh 
as  if  they  happened  yesterday.  Tears  are  on  my 
cheeks  as   freely   now  as  then   whenever   memory 

62 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


steals  me  away  to  the  scene.  The  last  half  mile 
was  walked  in  unbroken  silence,  with  his  hat  in  his 
hand,  his  long  hair  flowing-  upon  his  shoulders,  his 
lips  moving  in  silent  prayer,  tears  were  falling  from 
his  eyes,  when  our  eyes  met.  Suddenly  we  stopped, 
and  he  said  :  'God  bless  you,  my  son ;  your  father's 
God  prosper  you  and  keep  you  from  evil.'  Unable 
to  say  more,  we  embraced  and  parted,  and  when  I 
came  to  the  bend  in  the  road  and  looked  back  I  saw 
that  he  was  still  standing  and  looking,  and  then  I 
climbed  to  the  dyke  and  looked  and  he  w^as  still 
waiting,  and  I  vowed  a  vow  that  I  would  never  do  a 
thing  that  would  disgrace  such  a  father,  and  the 
memory  of  him  drove  me  to  do  God's  will  as  he 
did  it." 

It  is  my  prayerful  hope  that  the  picture  of  such 
a  father  might  inspire  us  all.  The  Bible  teaches  that 
every  man  must  be  a  priest  in  his  own  household. 
If  so  he  must  keep  himself  unspotted  from  the 
world.  "I  charge  you,"  said  a  dying  mother  to  her 
husband,  "bring  all  these  children  home  with  you," 
and  that  is  God's  charge  to  every  father  in  this 
world. 

There  are  certain  reasons  why  God  could  say : 
"I  know  him."  He  could  remember  how  he  had 
been  living  back  in  Ur,  or  in  the  days  of  idolatry, 
when  He  called  him  as  He  afterwards  called  Elijah, 
Peter,  Matthew,  and  still  later  summoned  Cromwell 
from  his  farm  and  Luther  from  the  cloister,  when 
the  call  means  separation  from  the  fatherland  and 
his  kinsmen,  and  that  he  must  be  a  stranger  in  a 
strange  land,  and  it  is  written  in  the  Hebrews  when 

63 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


he  was  called  he  obeyed  and  that  made  him  a  hero. 
God  always  trusts  men  when  they  obey  Him  and 
no  one  can  ever  command  until  first  he  learns  to 
obey.  No  home  can  be  happy  unless  the  children 
obey  the  parents,  and  no  home  can  be  a  true  home 
unless  the  parents  obey  God.  Have  you  obeyed  God 
in  your  home?  In  His  sight  you  are  a  priest;  have 
you  maintained  your  position?  In  the  life  of  John 
G.  Paton  we  are  told  that  the  custom  of  morning 
and  evening  prayer  was  ever  maintained  in  his 
father's  household;  until  the  day  of  his  death,  at 
seventy-seven  years,  he  failed  not,  and  when  the  last 
day  of  his  life  came  he  was  heard  repeating  the 
psalm  and  breaking  forth  into  prayer,  and  his  dis- 
tinguished son  says . 

"I  never  can  remember  that  any  day  ever  passed 
when  this  was  omitted.  No  hurry  for  the  market, 
no  rush  for  business,  no  arrival  of  friends,  no  trou- 
ble or  joy  ever  prevented  our  kneeling  about  the 
altar,  while  the  high  priest  led  us  to  God  and  offered 
himself  and  his  children  there.  The  worst  woman 
in  the  town  where  we  lived  crept  up  to  that  window 
and  heard  my  father  pleading  for  sinners  in  his 
prayer  and  was  saved." 

Oh,  for  a  home  so  full  of  God  that  the  overflow 
of  it  can  lead  a  soul  to  Christ !  God  was  not  shut 
up  to  the  present  or  the  past  in  knowing  Abram, 
but  the  future  was  as  an  open  book.  He  knew  that 
He  would  stand  as  an  intercessor  for  Sodom,  and 
He  knew  exactly  what  kind  of  intercession  that 
would  be.  It  is  a  pattern  for  us  to-day.  There  was 
real  concern  for  Lot. 

64 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


An  old  Scotch  woman's  son  Walter  had  gone 
away  and  sent  his  mother  no  letter,  so  that  she 
did  not  know  whether  he  was  dead  or  alive.  Every 
night,  as  she  prayed,  she  would  throw  open  the  door 
and  cry  aloud,  "Come  home,  Walter;  your  mother 
misses  you  so,"  and  every  morning,  for  twenty 
>'ears,  at  the  break  of  day,  she  climbed  to  the  top  of 
the  hill  and  looked  in  the  direction  in  which  he  had 
gone  and  prayed  for  his  return.  Abram's  concern 
was  like  this ;  there  was  real  prayer  in  his  interces- 
sion. He  waited  until  he  was  alone  with  God.  Every 
father  ought  to  have  such  an  experience  as  this. 

Referring  again  to  the  life  of  John  G.  Paton,  the 
great  missionary  says :  "Our  house  consisted  of  two 
rooms,  one  front  and  one  back.  There  was  a  kind 
of  closet  between,  and  thither,  three  times  a  day,  my 
father  retired  and  shut  the  door.  We  children  got 
to  understand  and  know  by  a  kind  of  instinct  that 
the  prayer  was  being  poured  out  there  after  the 
manner  of  the  high  priests  in  the  holy  of  holies.  We 
occasionally  heard  his  pathetic  tones  pleading  for  us, 
and  we  got  so  we  walked  past  the  door  on  tip-toe 
for  fear  we  might  disturb  him."  No  wonder  a  home 
like  that  has  blessed  the  world. 

God  also  knew  Abram  in  that  other  real  test  of 
his  faith  when  He  said:  "Take  thy  son,  thy  only 
son,  Isaac."  Isaac  was  the  dearest  thing  in  the 
v/orld  to  him.  Suppose  God  should  touch  that  which 
is  best  in  your  life,  v/hat  would  you  say?  If  any 
one  could  rebel  under  such  circumstances  there  must 
be  something  wrong.  I  can  see  Abram  and  Isaac 
starting  early  in  the  morning,  for  three  days  they 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


journey,  and  then  they  see  the  mountain  of  sacrifice, 
and  Abram  said  :  "Tarry  here."  When  Isaac  asked 
him,  saying,  "Where  is  the  lamb?"  the  father's  re- 
ply was:  "God  will  prepare  His  sacrifice."  He 
placed  Isaac  upon  the  altar,  raised  the  knife  which 
flashed  in  the  sunlight,  and  suddenly  God  said : 
"Abram,  lay  not  thy  hand  upon  the  child.  I  know 
that  thou  fearest  God,  thou  hast  not  withheld  thy 
son."  It  may  be  that  there  is  something  between 
you  and  your  children  that  is  keeping  your  child 
back  from  Christ. 

A  father  and  a  son  heard  the  minister  preach 
when  the  subject  was  "The  Judgment,"  The  boy 
was  profoundly  moved  and  walked  home  from  the 
church  without  saying  a  word,  made  his  way  to  his 
room,  threw  himself  upon  his  bed,  and  a  little  later 
heard  his  father  whistling  and  singing.  He  rose 
from  his  bed  and  said:  "It  cannot  be  true;  if  my 
father  realized  that  I  was  lost  he  could  not  whistle 
and  he  would  not  sing."  And  when  that  boy  came 
to  manhood,  instead  of  casting  his  influence  as  he 
might  have  done  with  the  Evangelical  church,  he 
became  one  of  the  greatest  leaders  of  Unitarianism 
that  the  world  has  ever  known.  It  may  be  that 
you  have  not  yet  yielded  up  everything  you  have  to 
God,  and  for  that  reason  your  home  life  is  not  all 
that  it  should  be.  Never  until  spirit,  soul  and  body 
are  absolutely  controlled  by  God  may  we  expect  Him 
to  dwell  in  us  in  fullness  and  use  us  for  His  glory. 
It  may  be  you  are  living  in  what  may  be  properly 
called  a  backsliding  condition;  if  so,  then  let  it  be 
ever  remembered  that  God  will  not  send  His  bless- 


66 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


ing  upon  you  until  you  come  back  into  close  fellow- 
ship with  Him. 

I  once  heard  Major  Whittle  give  the  following 
illustration :  "At  a  weekly  prayer  meeting  where 
'Separation  from  the  world  and  consecration  to  God' 
had  been  presented  as  the  topic  for  consideration,  a 
gentleman  related  the  following  experience: 

"  'I  came  to  this  city  several  years  ago  a  profess- 
ing Christian.  I  was  a  member  of  such  a  church, 
a  regular  attendant  at  the  prayer  meeting,  a  teacher 
in  the  Sunday  School,  and  maintained  daily  worship 
in  my  family.  But  gradually  I  became  engrossed  in 
business ;  and  the  ambition  to  be  rich  took  possession 
of  me.  I  gave  up  my  Sunday  School  class — too 
tired  when  Sunday  came  to  attend  to  it;  and  the 
prayer  meeting  was  neglected  for  the  same  reason. 
Soon  family  worship  was  also  dropped,  and  I  went 
on  for  some  years,  a  merely  nominal  Christian,  at- 
tending church  on  Sunday,  but  without  any  real 
communion  with  God,  and  without  any  real  happi- 
ness of  soul.  God  often  spoke  to  me,  and  I  expected 
His  chastening  hand  to  come  in  some  way.  At  last 
it  came.  I  had  but  one  child — a  little  daughter — the 
idol  of  my  heart.  One  evening  I  was  unexpectedly 
at  home.  My  business  usually  occupied  my  even- 
ings, and  I  was  very  little  with  my  family,  and  they 
had  not  looked  for  my  coming.  My  little  daughter, 
much  to  my  annoyance,  was  absent;  and  when  her 
mother  told  me  she  had  permitted  her  to  go  into  a 
neighbor's  for  an  hour,  I  was  unreasonably  angry, 
and  sent  for  her,  and  declared  that  if  she  went  there 
again  I  should  punish  her, 

67 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


"  'Several  weeks  after  this  T  was  again  unex- 
pectedly at  home ;  and  again  my  little  girl  was  away. 
My  wife  was  much  troubled  in  having  to  tell  me 
that  being  quite  sure  that  I  had  no  real  objection  to 
her  going  into  our  neighbor's  where  she  was  under 
the  very  best  influence — and  not  thinking  I  should 
be  at  home — she  had  allowed  her  to  go.  I  sent  for 
the  little  girl  and  chastised  her.  Just  before  going 
to  her  room  she  came,  and  between  sobs,  said: 
"Papa,  I  am  sorry  I  disobeyed  you.  I  thought  per- 
haps you  would  be  willing  if  mamma  was.  And 
Mr.  Smith  prays  with  his  children  every  night  and 
I  went  in  to  pray  for  you,  papa."  The  next  day 
my  little  girl  was  laid  up  with  scarlet  fever ;  and  in 
three  weeks  I  followed  her  little  body  to  the  grave. 
I  came  back  to  the  house,  I  trust,  a  humbled, 
chastened  man.  My  family  altar  was  again  erected, 
my  place  in  the  prayer  meeting  again  filled ;  and  by 
God's  help  I  purpose  henceforth  to  live  for  Him. 
But,  my  friends,  my  getting  into  the  world,  and 
what  it  has  cost  me,  is  a  sad  memory.  May  God 
lead  you  to  accept  His  will  without  waiting  for  the 
discipline.'  " 

If  every  father  in  the  church  were  right  with  God 
it  is  absolutely  certain  that  we  should  soon  find  the 
church  throbbing  with  the  mighty  power  of  God. 


68 


CHAPTER    EIGHTH. 

A  NEVER  FAILING    PRINCIPLE. 

"For  the  wages  of  sin  is  death,  but  the  gift  of 
God  is  eternal  Hfe  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord." — Romans  6:2j. 

There  is  no  principle  more  unfailing  than  this. 
It  is  one  of  God's  inevitable  laws  and  it  is  the 
more  emphasized  because  it  is  stated  by  Paul,  the 
Apostle,  and  is  found  in  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans. 
This  whole  letter  is  a  masterful  argument  and  Paul 
himself  was  a  mighty  writer.  No  verse  in  Romans 
could  properly  be  taken  separately  for  treatment 
or  studied  out  of  its  connection.  Paul  is  such  a 
logician  and  his  Epistle  is  such  an  argument  that  it 
must  be  studied  as  a  whole  to  be  appreciated. 

Each  writer  or  speaker  has  words  peculiar  to 
his  own  vocabulary. 

Peter's  word  is  ^'precious."    He  speaks  of  "prec- 
ious promises,"  "precious  blood,"  and  a  "precious- 
Savior." 

Paul's  words  most  frequently  used  are,  "for," 
"but,"  and  "therefore."  The  two  former  are  to  be 
found  in  the  scripture  above  quoted. 

There  are  three  "therefores"  in  the  Epistle  to 
the  Romans  which  should  receive  our  special  atten- 
tion, and  these  three  stand  out  like  great  moim- 
tain  peaks  in  his  argument. 

Romans    5;  /.      "Therefore    being    justified    by 

69 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


faith  we  have  peace  with  God  through  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ." 

Romans  8:  i.  "There  is  therefore  now  no  con- 
demnation to  them  which  are  in  Christ  Jesus,  who 
walk  not  after  the  flesh,  but  after  the  spirit." 

Romans  12:  i.  "I  beseech  you  therefore,  breth- 
ren, by  the  mercies  of  God  that  ye  present  your 
bodies  a  living  sacrifice,  holy,  acceptable  unto  God, 
which  is  your  reasonable  service." 

In  each  case  we  must  study  all  that  precedes 
if  we  would  appreciate  his  conclusions.  In  the  first 
chapter  of  Romans  he  is  giving  a  striking  descrip- 
tion of  sin.  No  better  picture  of  the  condition  of  the 
human  heart  has  ever  been  drawn.  It  is  said  that 
when  one  of  the  missionaries  was  translating  this 
scripture  into  Chinese  his  Chinese  amanuensis 
refused  to  continue  the  work  when  the  first  chapter 
of  Romans  was  reached  because  he  said  he  would 
not  be  guilty  of  making  known  publicly  the  condi- 
tion of  his  own  people. 

Following  the  picture  of  sin  is  the  reference  to 
Israel,  and  following  this  reference  Christ  is  offered 
for  our  sins,  and  because  of  faith  in  Him  we  are 
justified.  In  the  6th  chapter  the  writer  strikes  a  note 
of  warning,  calling  attention  to  the  license  which 
some  people  might  feel  it  possible  to  indulge  in 
because  of  justification,  and  at  the  close  of  this 
chapter  he  uses  the  scripture  with  which  this  chap- 
ter is  introduced,  "For  the  wages  of  sin  is  death." 

The  difference  between  wages  on  one  side  and  a 
gift  on  the  other  side,  the  one  calling  for  untiring 
energy  and  almost  ceaseless  toiling,  the  other  ac- 

70 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


cepted  with  no  effort  put  forth  at  all  except  the 
outreaching  hand  to  receive  the  gift,  presents  to 
us  the  difference  between  the  two  masters,  one  the 
Christian's  Master,  the  other  the  one  whom  the 
world  serves. 

The  background  of  Paul's  picture  here  is  sin. 
We  cannot  eliminate  it  from  our  consideration,  if 
we  do  other  errors  instantly  creep  into  our  think- 
ing and  ultimately  to  our  living,  lax  ideas  of  sin 
produce  fruit  in  lax  ideas  concerning  the  necessity 
for  an  atonement.  Sin  is  not  simply  an  error,  nor 
is  it  a  mistake,  but  it  is  a  damnable  thing,  too  black 
to  be  described  in  human  language.  So  great  was 
it  in  the  thought  of  God  that  it  demanded  an  infin- 
ite sacrifice,  the  blood  of  bulls  and  goats  could  not 
longer  suffice.  God  pity  the  man  who  in  the  face 
of  such  a  thought  trifles  with  sin,  encourages  its 
practice  in  his  life  and  seeks  to  cover  it  over  in 
his  heart.  In  the  awful  havoc  which  it  has  wrought 
it  changes  the  expression  of  one's  countenance. 

The  story  of  the  two  paintings  by  Leonardo  da 
Vinci  is  one  that  may  be  paralleled  every  day  in 
actual  life.  The  great  artist  had  painted  the  face 
of  a  lovely  child,  and  was  so  fascinated  by  the 
picture  that  he  kept  it  constantly  before  his  gaze 
in  his  studio.  The  sight  of  the  beautiful  child's 
face  tranquilized  his  soul  in  sorrow  or  in  anger. 
He  resolved  to  paint  a  picture  which  should  be  its 
opposite.  Long  and  patiently  he  searched  for  a 
model,  but  could  find  no  face  bad  enough  to  parallel 
in  hideousness  the  angelic  beauty  of  the  young  face 
in  his   studio.     Many  years  afterwards,   when  he 

71 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


had  given  up  the  search,  he  looked  upon  the  almost 
inhuman  countenance  of  a  criminal,  lying  in  des- 
pair on  the  floor  of  a  prison  cell.  At  length  he  had 
found  the  model  for  whom  he  had  been  look- 
ing. He  painted  the  terrible  face,  and  then  learned 
to  his  amazement  that  the  crime-hardened  man  and 
the  angel  child  were  one  and  the  same.  Brutal 
passions  had  transformed  the  seraph  into  a  demon. 
The  body  had  been  refashioned  by  the  mind. 

It  undermines  character.  I  never  have  known 
of  one  making  a  conspicious  public  failure  that  in- 
vestigation did  not  prove  the  fact  that  the  one  fail- 
ing had  begun  with  the  commission  of  some  almost 
trifling  sin  and  the  one  transgression  made  the  next 
easier  until  at  last  the  wreck  was  complete. 

In  India  the  white  ants  burrow  their  way  into 
the  rafters  of  the  cottages.  So  small  is  their  work 
that  it  is  not  noticed  by  the  casual  passer  by,  but 
when  the  storm  comes  the  house  which  seemed 
strong  falls  almost  with  the  first  touch  of  the  wind 
and  the  wreck  is  complete.  •  The  work  began  with 
the  burrowing  of  an  ant  hole.     So  do  men  fail. 

//  breaks  up  households.  I  went  one  day  to  call 
upon  a  young  business  man  to  ask  him  to  come  to 
Christ.  I  knew  his  heart  was  tender  because  of 
the  recent  death  of  his  wife,  but  while  he  received 
me  graciously  he  declined  to  accept  Christ,  saying 
that  he  had  no  need  of  Him,  his  character  was 
strong  and  his  every  inclination  against  sin  he 
said.  But  one  day  my  telephone  bell  rang  sharply 
and  I  was  called  back  into  the  same  house  to  com- 
fort four  little  children  who  were  not  only  mother- 

72 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


less  but  worse  than  fatherless.  In  a  down  town 
hotel  the  father  was  lying  dead  by  his  own  hand. 
Shortly  after  our  conversation  a  strong  temptation 
had  overpowered  him,  he  had  changed  one  figure 
in  his  books  and  he  died  a  defaulter  to  the  extent 
of  a  quarter  of  a  million  of  dollars.  His  children 
were  scattered  almost  literally  to  the  four  winds, 
their  names  were  changed  that  they  might  forget 
their  father,  and  he  is  in  Eternity  awaiting  Judg- 
ment. 

This  is  sill.  It  not  only  blights  the  offender 
himself  but  it  injures  others,  and  this  is  the  sad 
thing  about  sin.  Dr.  Talmage  once  said  there  were 
five  acts  in  the  rum  tragedy. 

Act  the  First. 

A  graduation  scene  where  a  young  man  gain- 
ing the  honors  of  his  class  and  the  applause  of  the 
commencement  audience  steps  forth  into  life  with 
every  prospect  of  winning  a  victory. 

Act  the  Second. 

The  sound  of  marriage  bells  is  heard  and  the 
whole  sky  seems  bright  with  promise  that  the  life 
thus  nobly  begun  shall  go  on  with  increasing  power 
and  strength. 

Act  the  Third. 

A  cloud  has  begun  to  appear  in  the  sky  and  the 
man  whose  future  was  so  bright  is  beginning  to  go 
down  under  the  touch  of  sin. 

73 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


Act  the  fourth. 

A  woman  waiting  in  a  poorly  furnished  room 
with  a  child  crying  at  her  knees.  She  is  looking 
and  listening  for  the  return  of  one  who  now  comes 
home  with  unsteady  step,  but  she  waits  in  vain. 

Act  the  Fifth. 

Three  graves  in  a  dark  place.  The  grave  of  a 
child  who  died  of  neglect;  the  grave  of  a  wife  and 
mother,  who  died  of  a  broken  heart ;  the  grave  of  a 
father  and  husband,  who  sent  himself  into  eternity 
and  learns  to-day  that  the  wages  of  sin  is  death. 

It  is  small  in  its  beginning,  so  small  indeed  that 
men  do  not  fear  it.  They  think  that  they  can  begin 
when  they  choose  and  stop  when  they  please,  but 
they  wake  up  one  day  to  learn  that  they  have  been 
forging  chains  of  habit  and  are  bound  hand  and 
foot.  While  seated  in  the  office  of  a  friend,  who  was 
an  official  on  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad,  he 
asked  me  if  I  had  seen  the  big  trees  in  California, 
and  when  I  told  him  that  I  had  simply  seen  them 
from  the  car  window,  he  showed  me  a  measuring 
line  on  which  was  printed  his  affidavit  that  he  had 
made  measurements  which  were  astonishing.  The 
circumference  of  one  tree  was  105  feet  and  the  diam- 
eter 35  feet,  while  the  height  was  something  enorm- 
ous. He  said  to  me:  "These  big  trees  are  sermons 
in  themselves.  They  are  the  oldest  things  we 
know  and  they  never  die  except  when  some 
outside  force  is  brought  to  bear  upon  them. 
How  large  would  you  think,"  said  he,  "the  seed 

74 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


of  a  big  tree  might  be  ?"  And  I  answered,  "Judging 
from  the  size  I  should  say  it  might  be  as  large  as 
a  pumpkin."  He  smiled  and  held  out  before  me 
on  a  piece  of  paper  the  seeds  of  the  great  trees,  and 
they  were  smaller  than  a  mustard  seed.  So  it  is 
with  sin.  It  begins  with  an  evil  imagination,  an 
impure  thought  and  unholy  ambition,  but  the  end 
is  death. 

It  is  deceiving  in  its  influence.  This  is  true  of 
some  diseases.  Traveling  through  New  Mexico  and 
Arizona  recently,  where  very  many  people  are  the 
subjects  of  the  dread  disease  of  consumption,  I 
failed  to  find  one  who  felt  the  danger  of  his  position. 
The  disease  is  said  to  be  flattering  and  the  subject 
thinks  that  he  is  growing  better  until  suddenly  he  is 
face  to  face  with  eternity.  How  many  men  there  are 
who  will  tell  you  that  they  can  go  just  so  far  and 
stop !  How  few  there  are  that  expect  ever  to  be 
lost! 

I  have  read  that  the  Vampire  Bat  in  the  West 
Indies  fans  its  victim  to  sleep  while  it  sucks  away 
its  life  blood.     This  is  sin  and  its  wages  is  death. 

It  is  sure  in  its  progress.  For  every  man  in  Christ 
and  out,  the  scripture  should  be  plainly  written, 
"Be  sure  your  sin  will  find  you  out."  There  is  no 
escape  from  this ;  hide  it  as  securely  as  you  please 
and  one  day  there  will  be  a  Resurrection.  It  will 
come  at  the  time  when  you  least  expect  it  and  also 
at  the  time  when  you  can  least  afford  to  meet  it. 
In  the  island  of  Ceylon  I  have  been  told  that  there 
are  more  than  forty  serpents  whose  sting  is  deadly. 
There  is  one  at  least  which  if  it  should  sting  your 

75 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


hand  or  foot  you  would  be  dead  in  a  minute,  and 
yet  death  is  not  more  sure  as  the  result  of  the  ser- 
pent's sting  than  it  is  sure  as  a  result  of  the  prac- 
tice of  sin. 

It  is  degrading  in  its  influence,  it  can  tear  down 
the  strongest  character  and  blight  and  mar  the  hap- 
piest future.  The  story  is  told  of  a  man  in  New  York 
City  whose  position  was  all  that  man  could  desire. 
Under  the  stress  of  temptation  he  began  to  fail,  lie 
went  from  bad  to  worse,  moved  from  one  house 
to  another,  each  time  his  apartments  growing 
smaller.  He  became  cruel  in  his  treatment  of  his 
wife  and  children  and  one  day  as  he  returned,  mad- 
dened by  the  power  of  strong  drink,  his  little  two- 
year-old  child  ran  to  meet  him,  when  picking  him 
up  in  his  fury,  he  threw  him  from  him,  the  child 
struck  upon  the  stone  step  and  they  picked  him  up 
dead.     This  is  sin,  and  the  wages  of  sin  is  death. 

It  is  the  worst  sort  of  bondage.  That  poor  deluded 
man  who  shot  Andrew  H.  Green,  the  father  of 
Greater  New  York,  gave  as  an  explanation  the  fol- 
lowing: "I  used  to  be  a  good  man,"  he  said,  "but 
I  sold  myself  to  the  devil  and  he  made  me  do  what 
I  have  done.  I  could  not  help  myself."  The  rav- 
ing of  this  poor  soul  is  a  picture  of  many  another 
man.  If  you  doubt  it  yourself,  try  to  break  some 
habit  and  to  free  yourself  from  some  sin  and  see 
how  it  will  pursue  you. 

It  is  sure  in  its  punishment,  its  wages  are  some- 
thing terrific.  Not  only  the  sleepless  nights,  the 
condemning  conscience,  the  weakened  character,  the 
blighted  future,  the  lost  reputation,  these  things  in 

76 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


themselves  are  bad  enough,  but  the  future  baffles 
description.  No  word  of  mine  could  paint  it  black 
enough.    The  wages  of  sin  is  death. 

The  question  may  be  asked,  "What  is  the  great- 
est sin?"  There  may  be  a  difference  of  opinion 
concerning  this  among  men.  Some  men  count 
drunkenness  the  greatest,  others  imagine  impurity 
to  be  the  chiefest  of  all  sins,  still  others  suggest 
that  it  may  be  dishonesty,  but  the  word  of  God  has 
declared  that  the  greatest  of  all  sins  is  the  rejec- 
tion of  Jesus  Christ,  and  when  men  stand  face  to 
face  with  God  in  judgment  the  question  will  be  not 
concerning  one's  impurity,  dishonesty  or  intemper- 
ance, but  rather  this,  "What  did  you  do  with  Jesus 
Christ  ?"  and  upon  the  answer  to  this  question  man 
will  stand  or  fall  at  the  Judgment  bar. 

What  is  the  remedy  which  can  be  offered  to  meet 
this  awful  condition?  There  are  two  suggestions 
made ;  one  is  born  on  earth,  the  other  sent  down 
from  Heaven.  The  first  is  the  suggestion  of 
man.  We  are  told  that  if  our  environment  be 
only  changed  our  condition  will  be  so  much 
the  better.  It  will  be  an  easy  thing  for  us  then 
to  break  away  from  the  power  of  sin.  This 
certainly  is  not  true.  If  environment  had  such 
power  Adam  and  Eve  never  would  have  sinned,  for 
they  lived  in  Paradise;  Judas  never  would  have 
fallen,  for  he  was  so  near  to  Jesus  Christ  that  it 
was  possible  for  him  to  touch  Him,  to  see  plainly 
the  expression  of  His  countenance  and  almost  to 
hear  the  beating  of  His  heart,  and  yet  he  sold  his 
Lord  and  sent  his  soul  to  Hell. 


77 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


We  are  told  again  that  if  character  only  be 
strengthened  and  conduct  be  rightly  ordered  the 
result  will  be  the  breaking  away  of  sin.  In 
other  words,  we  are  commanded  to  do  our  best  and 
God  will  look  with  favor  upon  us.  But  this  cannot 
be  true,  for  we  are  sinners  and  our  sin  has  been 
against  God,  and  many  of  those  whom  Jesus  Christ 
came  to  save  have  lost  all  power  of  will,  have 
almost  lost  the  desire  to  be  good  and  true.  He  is 
a  mighty  Savior  to  all  such.  Their  characters  are 
ruined ;  they  can  do  nothing  of  themselves.  It  is 
a  good  thing  to  suggest  to  each  person  who  would 
save  the  sinner  that  if  his  method  of  salvation  is 
to  prove  effective  he  ought  to  try  it  upon  those  w-ho 
are  the  lowest  down  and  the  most  depraved.  If 
it  fails  with  them  it  is  of  no  use  to  others.  Our 
Gospel  is  for  all  such,  the  gift  of  God  is  eternal 
life,  and  if  the  poor  depraved  sinner  has  simply 
strength  enough  to  reach  forth  his  hand  as  he  w^ould 
put  it  out  to  take  a  cup  of  water  he  may  be  saved. 

God's  remedy  which  was  decided  upon  in  Heaven 
is  described  in  the  text.  The  gift  of  God  is  eternal 
life.  In  the  scripture  we  are  told,  "Christ  died  for 
our  sins,"  and  that  settles  the  sin  question  judici- 
ally. God  could  not  look  with  indifference  upon 
the  smallest  transgression  and  in  order  that  he 
might  be  just  and  the  Justifier  of  all  them  that 
believe,  He  so  loved  the  world  that  he  gave  His 
only  begotten  Son  that  whosoever  believeth  in  Him 
should  not  perish  but  have  everlasting  life.  There- 
fore, if  we  would  be  saved  let  us  accept  the  gift, 
eternal  life — which  is  only  another  way  of  saying, 

78 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


"the  life  of  the  eternal."  This  life  is  in  us ;  by 
means  of  it  we  are  able  to  overcome  temptation. 
It  is  in  us  ;  because  of  it  we  can  bear  up  in  trial. 

When  Commander  Booth-Tucker  was  paying  a 
tribute  to  his  noble  wife  at  the  funeral  service  held 
in  Carnegie  Hall,  New  York,  he  said:  "I  was  one 
day  talking  to  a  man  in  Chicago,  asking  him  to 
come  to  Christ,  when  he  said,  'If  God  had  taken 
your  beautiful  wife  and  left  you  alone  with  your 
children  would  you  still  believe  in  Him  ?'  And,  said 
the  great  Salvation  Army  officer,  "If  that  man  is 
in  the  audience  to-day  I  want  to  say  to  him  that 
God  has  taken  my  beautiful  wife  and  left  me  alone 
with  my  children  and  He  has  never  been  nearer  to 
me  than  now  and  I  have  never  loved  Him  more." 
This  is  really  being  a  Christian,  and  the  strength 
to  bear  up  under  such  trial  is  the  gift  of  God. 

He  is  in  us  making  it  possible  for  us  to  live  as  we 
ought  to  live.  If  we  could  accustom  ourselves  to  or- 
dering our  days  by  some  particular  statement  of 
scripture  we  would  be  surprised  to  see  how  bright 
the  day  would  be.  Let  the  motto  of  one  day  be, 
"Bear  ye  one  another's  burdens,"  or  the  truth  for 
another  day,  "Let  each  esteem  others  better  than 
himself."  And  he  who  practices  the  presence  of  God 
in  such  a  way  and  lives  according  to  the  teachings  of 
Christ  will  find  the  days  of  earth  to  be  days  of 
Heaven  and  his  character  transfigured. 

I  would  like  to  make  an  appeal  to  all  who  may 
read  these  words  and  such  an  appeal  as  might  stir 
the  emotions  and  quicken  the  memory,  perhaps 
bring  before  them  the  vision  of  a  mother  or  the  ser- 

79 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


mon  of  the  preacher  of  olden  days  as  a  result  of 
which  the  reader  might  be  saved.  If  you  go  to  a 
Rescue  Mission  and  ask  the  most  depraved  to  tell 
you  what  it  is  that  has  saved  him  from  final  destruc- 
tion and  despair  he  will  tell  you,  "My  mother's 
prayer  or  my  father's  hope  or  my  Sunday  School 
teacher's  influence." 

There  came  one  day  into  the  city  of  St.  Louis  a 
Christian  woman  from  the  country,  and  she  asked 
one  of  the  ministers  to  permit  her  to  accompany 
him  to  the  hospital,  as  she  had  not  visited  such  an 
institution  before.  She  carried  on  her  arm  a  basket 
of  honey-suckle  and  she  wanted  to  place  a  spray 
upon  each  cot  in  the  hospital  ward.  I  am  quite 
sure  that  the  fragrance  of  the  honey-suckle  could 
stir  many  a  sacred  memory.  One  of  my  friends 
told  me  one  day  in  New  York  that  the  odor  of  a 
honey-suckle  always  took  her  back  to  her  child- 
hood's home  in  the  south  and  she  never  could  think 
of  it  without  weeping.  Passing  from  cot  to  cot 
the  country  woman  placed  the  flowers  wherever 
possible  in  the  hands  of  the  sufferers.  She  came 
to  one  cot  where  a  screen  had  been  placed  about  it. 
This  was  a  new  experience  for  her.  She  put  the 
honey-suckle  in  the  dying  girl's  hand  and  was  just 
turning  away  when  she  saw  the  lips  moving  and 
bending  down  she  heard  the  girl  whispering, 
"Mother,  I  smell  the  fragrance  of  the  honey-suckle 
outside  my  window,"  and  when  she  looked  the  sec- 
ond time  she  cried  out,  "Margaret,  my  child,  my 
child,"  for  it  was  her  own  daughter  who  had  wan- 
dered away  and  was  dying  because  of  her  sin.     It 

80 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


was  the  fragrance  of  the  honey-suckle  that  aroused 
the  girl  and  resuUcd  not  only  in  reunion  with  her 
mother  but  in  the  winning  of  her  soul  to  Christ. 
I  am  afraid  when  I  think  of  men  delaying  the 
acceptance  of  Jesus  Christ  and  see  them  trifling 
with  sin.  I  would  that  I  might  bring  to  your  mem- 
ory a  picture  of  His  suffering  and  dying  and  the 
plea  made  to  you  by  some  one  in  other  days. 

Not  long  ago  in  California  I  was  told  of  the  sal- 
mon fishermen  who  work  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Columbia  river.  Hundreds  of  little  fishing  boats 
put  out  at  sunset,  each  having  two  fishermen  on 
board.  They  sail  to  the  spot  where  they  are  to 
work,  then  set  their  nets  as  the  tide  is  coming  in 
and  boat  and  net  drift  upward  with  the  tide.  Then 
the  tide  turns  and  the  boat  drifts  back  again  to  the 
sea.  When  the  morning  breaks  it  is  seen  that  the 
boat  is  near  the  breakers.  The  fishermen  go  as  far 
as  they  can,  then  begin  to  draw  in  the  nets,  drifting 
all  the  time  towards  death.  One  fisherman  is  seen 
to  stop.  Something  holds  his  net.  It  is  full,  evidently, 
and  he  tarries  a  moment  too  long  attempting  to 
draw  it  in  at  any  cost,  and  before  he  can  escape 
the  boat  is  drawn  outward  again  towards  the  sea 
and  the  fisherman  is  lost,  all  because  of  the  mo- 
ment's delay.  So  I  lift  my  cry  to  every  halting, 
hesitating  man,  telling  him  that  "the  wages  of  sin 
is  death,  but  the  gift  of  God  is  eternal  life."  I 
beseech  you  therefore,  reader,  to  take  the  gift. 


8i 


CHAPTER    NINTH. 

A  STARTLING  STATEMENT. 

"The  wicked  shall  not  be  unpunished."  Prov- 
erbs II :  21. 

There  are  very  many  passages  of  scripture  which 
ought  properly  to  be  read  in  connection  with  this 
text,  as  for  example,  "Fools  make  a  mock  of  sin" 
(Proverbs  14:9),  for  only  a  fool  would.  Better 
trifle  with  the  pestilence  and  expose  oneself  to  the 
plague  than  to  discount  the  blighting  effects  of  sin. 

And  again,  "The  soul  that  sinneth  it  shall  die," 
Ezekiel  18:4.  From  this  clear  statement  of  the 
word  of  God  there  is  no  escape.  Or  again,  "Our 
secret  sins  in  the  light  of  His  countenance." 
Psalm  90 : 8.  There  is  really  nothing  hidden  from 
His  sight.  We  may  conceal  our  sinful  thoughts 
and  sometimes  even  our  evil  practices  may  be  hidden 
from  men  but  not  from  God.  Or  again,  "Sin  when 
it  is  finished  bringeth  forth  death."  James  i  :  14-15. 
Here  is  progress  of  sin  indicated,  from  which  law 
there  has  never  been  the  slightest  deviation.  But 
one  of  the  sharpest  texts  in  all  the  Word  of  God 
and  one  which  men  somehow  in  these  days  seem 
to  ignore  is  Paul's  expression,  "Be  not  deceived, 
God  is  not  mocked,  whatsoever  a  man  soweth  that 
shall  he  also  reap."  Galatians  6:7.  And  if  we 
compare  this  reference  in  the  New  Testament  to 
the  text  in  the  Old  Testament  the  harvest  indeed 
82 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


seems  to  be  sure,  "for  the  wicked  shall  not  be  un- 
punished." 

There  is  a  note  of  truth  in  all  of  these  statements 
for  both  saint  and  sinner.  In  Jeremiah  the  30th 
chapter  and  the  nth  verse,  "For  I  am  with  thee, 
saith  the  Lord,  to  save  thee;  though  I  make  a  full 
end  of  all  nations  whither  I  have  scattered  thee,  yet 
I  will  not  make  a  full  end  of  thee:  but  I  will  cor- 
rect thee  in  measure,  and  will  not  leave  thee 
altogether  unpunished."  The  old  Prophet  is 
speaking  to  the  people  of  Israel,  and  w^hile  he 
tells  them  that  they  are  God's  people  yet  nev- 
ertheless they  shall  not  altogether  go  unpunished, 
for  if  they  sow  to  the  flesh  they  must  of  the 
flesh  reap  corruption.  In  Deuteronomy,  5th  chap- 
ter and  the  9th  verse,  we  read,  "Thou  shalt  not 
bow  down  thyself  unto  them,  nor  serve  them ; 
for  I  the  Lord  thy  God  am  a  jealous  God,  visiting 
the  iniquity  of  the  fathers  upon  the  children  unto 
the  third  and  fourth  generation  of  them  that  hate 
me."  It  is  a  solemn  fact  that  the  sins  of  the  fath- 
ers descend  upon  the  children  until  the  third  and 
fourth  generation ;  it  is  more  solemn  that  so  blight- 
ing is  the  effect  of  sin  that  the  fourth  generation  is 
the  last.  There  is  no  fifth.  Even  though  we  be 
pardoned  for  sin  we  shall  not  altogether  go  un- 
punished. 

Certainly  it  is  true  if  one  rejects  Jesus  Christ 
that  punishment  for  him  is  absolutely  sure. 

Not  long  ago  in  the  city  of  Chicago  the  following 
appeared  in  the  Inter  Ocean  as  an  editorial  under 
the  title  of  "The  preaching  that  moves'" : 

83 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


"To  those  who  look  upon  men  as  they  are  it  is 
simply  astounding  that  so  many  preachers  should 
act  as  if  the  hope  of  reward  alone  could  be  efficient 
to  move  average  mankind  to  leave  sin  and  follow 
after  righteousness, 

"In  every  other  relation  of  human  life  every  man 
is  constantly  confronted  with  the  alternative:  Do 
right  and  be  content ;  do  wrong  and  be  punished. 

"The  pressure  of  fear  as  well  as  the  pressure  of 
hope  is  continually  upon  him.  He  knows  that  he 
may  conceal  his  wrongdoing  from  the  eye  of  man,- 
but  he  is  always  under  the  fear  of  discovery  and 
punishment. 

"But  he  goes  to  church,  and  in  nine  cases  out  of 
ten  the  preacher,  while  insisting  that  he  can  hide 
nothing  from  the  eye  of  God,  yet  says  nothing  to 
arouse  in  him  that  fear  of  God  which  is  the  begin- 
ning of  wisdom. 

"If  he  turn  from  religion  to  science  he  finds  sci- 
ence more  positive  of  the  certainty  of  punishment 
than  of  the  certainty  of  reward.  Science  cannot, 
for  example,  assure  him  of  a  long  life,  even  though 
he  scrupulously  obey  hygienic  laws.  But  it  can 
assure  him  of  a  speedy  death  if  he  wantonly  vio- 
late those  laws. 

"Precisely  because  the  consequences  of  sin  in  pun- 
ishment can  be  foretold  more  positively  than  the 
consequences  of  righteousness  in  reward  is  what 
makes  fear  the  strongest  influence  dominating  and 
directing  human  conduct. 

"Yet  many  preachers  deliberately  abandon  the 
appeal  to  fear  and  then  wonder  why  their  preach- 

84 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


ing  does  not  move  men  to  active  righteousness. 
When  more  preachers  recover  from  the  delusion 
into  which  so  many  of  them  have  fallen  such  com- 
plaints will  diminish, 

"For  all  human  experience  proves  that  the  preach- 
ing that  appeals  to  fear  of  punishment  as  well  as 
to  hope  of  reward  is  the  preaching  that  is  really 
effective — is  the  preaching  of  all  the  great  preach- 
ers of  the  past  and  the  present — is  the  preaching 
that  moves." 

The  statement  of  the  text  is  exceedingly  plain 
and  the  teaching  is  unquestioned.  It  is  a  good 
thing  for  us  to-day  to  understand  w'hat  sin  is,  for 
if  we  have  a  wrong  conception  of  sin  it  naturally 
follows  that  we  shall  have  a  wrong  conception  of 
the  atonement.  Without  an  understanding  of  sin 
there  is  no  sense  of  guilt,  and  without  the  sense  of 
guilt  there  is  no  cry  for  pardon. 

The  best  definitions  of  sin  that  I  have  ever  found 
are  written  in  the  word  of  God. 

I. 

I,  "Whosoever  committeth  sin  transgresseth  also 
the  law ;  for  sin  is  the  transgression  of  the  law." 
I  John  3 : 4.  The  word  "transgression"  means  to 
go  across.  Does  your  life  parallel  God's  law  or 
cross  it?  Your  answer  to  this  question  determines 
the  measure  of  your  sin.  You  have  only  to  read 
the  ten  commandments  and  try  to  mould  your  life 
by  them  to  find  your  answer.  Better  still,  you  have 
only  to  read  these  commandments  in  the  light  of 
Jesus'  interpretation  where  the  look  of  lust  is  adul- 

85 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


tery  and  anger  without  cause  is  murder,  to  see  how 
far  short  you  have  come  and  if  this  is  true  certainly 
you  are  a  sinner  and  the  text  is  for  you.  "The 
wicked  shall  not  be  unpunished." 

2.  "All  unrighteousness  is  sin ;  and  there  is  a 
sin  not  unto  death."  I  John  5:  17.  Righteousness 
means  right  relations  with  God.  You  may  make 
ever  so  strong  a  claim  to  right  living  and  speak 
ever  so  vehemently  concerning  the  good  that  you 
are  accomplishing  in  the  world,  but  the  first  ques- 
tion for  you  to  settle  is  this,  What  is  your  relation  to 
God  and  what  have  you  to  say  with  reference  to 
your  acceptance  or  rejection  of  Jesus  Christ?  It 
is  a  solemn  thought  that  whatever  we  do  counts 
for  nothing  if  our  relation  to  God  be  wrong,  while 
the  little  that  we  may  do  may  count  for  much  if 
we  have  taken  the  right  position  before  him. 

3.  "Therefore  to  him  that  knoweth  to  do  good, 
and  doeth  it  not,  to  him  it  is  sin."    James  4:  17. 

Omission  according  to  this  scripture  is  sin,  neg- 
lected opportunity  is  sin,  shirking  responsibility  is 
sin,  refusing  to  obey  God  is  sin,  and  so  when  I  ask 
you  about  being  a  Christian  if  it  is  best  and  right 
and  you  acknowledge  that  it  is,  then  if  you  are  not 
a  Christian  this  very  fact  is  in  itself  sin,  for  when 
one  knows  the  right  and  refuses  to  do  it  he  is  a 
sinner  and  the  text  is  true.  "The  wicked  shall  not 
be  unpunished." 

4.  "And  he  that  doubteth  is  damned  if  he  eat, 
because  he  eateth  not  of  faith ;  for  whatsoever  is 
not  of  faith  is  sin."  Romans  14:23.  Acted  doubt 
is  sin.    If  you  have  a  doubt  concerning  the  sinful- 

86 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


ness  of  certain  things,  then  to  do  those  things  is 
sin.  If  I  have  the  least  doubt  concerning  the 
amusements  which  may  be  questionable  or  the  posi- 
tion which  may  be  doubtful  so  long  as  a  doubt  or 
a  question  remain  these  things  are  sin  and  the  Bible 
states  the  fact  that  "the  wicked  shall  not  be  un- 
punished." 

5.  "And  when  he  is  come,  he  will  reprove  the 
world  of  sin,  and  of  righteousness  and  of  judg- 
ment." Unbelief  is  the  chiefest  of  sins.  This  is 
to  reject  Jesus  Christ,  it  is  to  close  in  our  own  face 
the  door  of  hope,  it  is  to  trample  the  blood  of  the 
Son  of  God  under  our  feet,  and  it  meaiis  also  to 
insult  the  spirit  of  grace. 

One  morning  in  the  city  of  New  York,  about 
two  o'clock  a  man  dashed  down  the  street  and,  pass- 
ing two  men,  rushed  on  to  the  pier.  They  could  not 
tell  how  old  he  was  nor  how  he  was  dressed,  but 
they  saw  him  strip  off  his  overcoat,  coat  and  hat, 
and,  before  they  could  stir  to  save  him,  plunge  off 
the  end  of  the  pier.  There  was  a  short  rope  lying 
near  by,  and  seizing  this  a  man  ran  with  his  compan- 
ions to  the  point  from  which  the  man  jumped.  He 
threw  the  rope  toward  the  struggling  figure  that  he 
could  just  make  out  below  him.  The  rope  fell  a 
foot  and  a  half  too  short.  Then  they  ran  back 
to  the  gas  plant  and  got  a  longer  rope.  The  ice 
was  running  so  thick  in  the  river  that  the 
man's  head  and  shoulders  were  still  to  be  seen 
above  the  water  when  they  returned.  Taking  care- 
ful aim  he  threw  the  rope  squarely  across  the  strug- 
gling form,  shouting,  "Catch  it  and  we'll  pull  you 

87 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


in."  The  unknown,  however,  making  a  last  effort, 
threw  the  rope  aside,  and  shouted  back;  "Oh,  to 
h —  with  it !  I'm  through !"  Then  he  sank  out  of 
sight.  That  is  a  picture  of  the  man  who  having 
offered  to  him  mercy  and  grace  in  Jesus  Christ 
spurns  everything  that  God  offers,  and  is  therefore 
hopeless. 

Sin  separates  us  from  God. 

Sin  separates  us  from  each  other. 

Sin  pollutes  us  and  we  become  impure. 

Sin  deceives  us  and  we  are  in  danger  and  know 
it  not. 

A  friend  of  mine  walking  along  the  streets  of 
Cincinnati  early  one  morning  saw  a  young  girl 
standing  upon  the  very  edge  of  the  roof  of  one  of 
the  highest  office  buildings.  She  was  carefully  bal- 
ancing herself  and  every  moment  it  seemed  as  if 
she  would  fall.  The  elevator  was  not  running.  He 
made  his  way  hurriedly  to  the  roof  of  the  building, 
walked  carefully  across  it,  seized  her  by  the  hand 
and  drew  her  back  to  find  that  she  had  risen  in  her 
sleep  and  all  unconsciously  was  standing  on  the 
very  brink  of  eternity.  This  is  what  sin  does  for 
us,  and  it  is  a  solemn  thought  that  for  all  such 
the  text  is  true,  "The  wicked  shall  not  be  unpun- 
ished." 


II. 


I  do  not  make  my  appeal,  however,  on  the  ground 
that  the  punishment  is  all  for  the  future,  for  that 
is  indeed  sure.  I  ask  you  the  question,  "Do  you 
believe  in  Heaven  as  a  place  of  awards?"    If  so  the 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


same  argument  will  prove  the  existence  of  Hell. 
"Do  you  reject  Hell  because  it  seems  to  you  to  be 
inconceivable?"  Then  the  same  argument  will  blot 
Heaven  out  of  existence.  What  it  is  that  awaits 
the  wicked  I  am  sure  I  do  not  know,  only  that  it 
is  to  be  away  from  God,  with  the  door  of  hope 
shut  forever,  and  the  Bible  tells  me  tliat  there  is 
weeping  and  wailing  and  gnashing  of  teeth,  for 
the  wicked  shall  not  be  unpunished.  I  lift  my 
voice  against  the  punishment  here,  for  sin  is  so  sure 
in  its  deadly  work,  it  is  so  insidious  in  its  influ- 
ence, before  }ou  know  it  it  is  upon  you,  just  one 
day  of  trifling  and  you  are  gone. 

The  people  about  Pittsburg  will  never  forget 
the  Cheswick  mine  horror  in  1903,  when  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty-two  dead  men  were  taken  from  the 
mine.  Under  the  direction  of  one  of  the  mining 
engineers  a  rescuing  party  started  into  the  mine 
to  see  if  there  was  any  hope  of  saving  the  men  who 
might  be  yet  alive.  The  journey  is  described  by 
one  who  volunteered  to  go  with  the  engineer  on 
his  perilous  journey :  "When  we  got  to  the  foot 
of  the  shaft  Mr.  Taylor  lighted  a  cigar.  He  blew 
out  a  great  cloud  of  smoke  and  watched  it  drift 
into  a  passage.  'This  way,'  he  said,  'the  smoke 
will  follow  the  pure  air  draught.'  So  we  v/ent  on, 
Mr.  Taylor  blowing  clouds  of  smoke,  and  we  fol- 
lowing them.  Suddenly  he  wheeled  and  yelled ; 
'The  black  damp  is  coming!'  The  cigar  smoke 
had  stopped  as  though  it  had  come  to  a  stone  wall, 
and  was  now  drifting  over  our  heads.  We  ran  with 
death  at  our  heels,  ran  with  our  tongues  dry  and 

89 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


swelling  and  our  eyes  smarting  like  balls  of  fire. 
It  seemed  only  a  minute  until  Mr.  Taylor  shrieked 
and  fell  forward  on  his  face.  He  crawled  along 
for  awhile  on  his  hands  and  knees,  and  then  fell 
again  and  lay  still.  I  stopped  for  a  second,  with 
the  idea  of  carrying  him. 

"Then  I  realized  how  hopeless  that  was.  We  were 
still  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  foot  of  the  pit. 
He  was  a  very  heavy  man,  and  I,  as  you  see,  am 
small  and  weak.  Again  I  ran  choking  and  beating 
my  head  with  my  hands.  I  fell,  cut  my  face,  called 
upon  God,  struggled  to  my  feet  and  fell  again. 
So  I  plunged  on,  falling  and  fighting  forward. 
Black  madness  came  upon  me.  The  horrible,  sick- 
ening after-damp  was  tearing  my  heart  up  through 
my  dry  throat.  My  brain  was  bursting  through 
my  temples.  Then  a  stroke,  as  though  by  a  sledge 
hammer,  and  I  knew  nothing  more.  They  found 
me  at  ten  minutes  past  one  Tuesday  morning.  At 
first  they  thought  I  was  dead.  Then  they  saw  my 
head  rise  and  fall  while  I  weakly  pounded  on  a 
rock  with  a  stick  that  I  had  caught  in  my  delirium." 
This  is  to  me  a  striking  picture  of  what  sin  does 
for  us.  There  is  no  one  so  strong  but  he  may  be 
overpowered  by  its  awful  influence.  God  save  us 
from  it,  for  "the  wicked  shall  not  be  unpunished." 

HI. 

Is  there  no  hope?     For  it  would  seem  from  the 
message  thus   far  as  if  nothing  but  despair  were 
ahead  of  us.     Two  ways  to  escape  from  the  power 
90 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


of  sin  have  been  suggested ;  one  is  man's  way,  the 
other  is  God's.     Let  us  consider  them  both. 

I.  Man  suggests  reformation,  but  how  about  the 
sins  of  the  past?  They  are  still  untouched.  Man  tells 
the  sinner  to  do  his  best,  but  how  about  the  will 
which  has  been  weakened  by  sinful  practices  and 
which  seems  unable  to  act  ?  Man  tells  the  depraved 
to  change  his  surroundings,  but  how  about  the  heart 
that  is  unclean?  The  fact  is  man's  way  will  not 
reach  us. 

In  January,  1904,  the  American  Liner  New  York 
left  Southampton  and  came  into  the  New  York 
harbor  with  a  sad  story  to  tell.  A  sailor  was  sus- 
pended over  the  side  of  the  vessel  making  repairs 
when  an  enormous  wave  tore  him  away  and  he  was 
very  soon  under  the  forefoot  of  the  ship.  The 
waves  began  to  carry  him  away  and  a  life  line  was 
thrown  to  him  with  a  buoy  attached.  The  sailor, 
sometimes  visible  and  then  obscured  by  the  rising  of 
a  swell,  grasped  the  line  and  a  cheer  went  up.  He 
took  a  half  turn  with  the  line  around  his  waist, 
was  rolling  himself  over  into  the  bight  of  the  line 
and  it  looked  as  if  he  would  be  saved.  The  sailors 
on  deck  were  just  about  to  haul  in.  The  poor 
fellow's  hands  and  fingers  must  have  been  numb 
with  the  cold,  for  he  suddently  rolled  out  of  the 
half-formed  knot,  losing  his  grip  upon  the  line. 
None  of  the  passengers  could  help  the  man,  none 
of  the  crew  dared  jump  to  his  rescue,  no  boat  could 
live  in  such  a  maelstrom.  The  sailor  who  was 
struggling  and  being  whirled  around  and  bobbing 
like  a  cork,  his  oilskins  partially  spreading  out  and 

91 


-FISHING    FOR    MEN 

sustaining  him,  kept  drifting  further  and  further 
away. 

Aroused  by  the  commotion,  the  second  officer 
came  on  deck  just  as  the  sailor  lost  his  hold.  Toss- 
ing aside  his  cap,  overcoat  and  jacket,  he  bade  the 
seaman  take  a  bowline  hitch  around  his  body  and 
lower  him  away.  The  volunteer  life-saver  was 
cheered  by  the  passengers  as  he  went  over.  It  was 
bitter  cold,  the  sleet  sharp  and  the  swells  ugly.  A 
strong  swim  in  the  trough  of  the  seas  and  over 
the  crests  and  the  officer  might  reach  the  seaman. 
It  was  his  only  chance. 

He  had  no  more  than  touched  the  spume  before 
the  waves  hurled  him  against  the  side  of  the 
steamer  again  and  again,  bruising  his  ankle  and 
knee,  but  he  struck  out  bravely  and  gradually  drew 
nearer  the  sailor.  For  fifteen  minutes  the  senior 
second  officer  struggled.  During  one  of  his  brave 
spurts  in  the  direction  of  the  struggling  man  he 
looked  up  to  the  rail.  The  practiced  eye  of  the 
seafaring  man  saw  something  that  caused  him  sud- 
denly to  turn  and  breast  his  way  back  to  the  ship. 
The  line  was  too  short.  The  seaman  holding  the 
line  attached  to  the  officer  had  in  his  hands  the  mere 
end  of  it,  and  there  was  not  another  bit  to  pay  out. 
It  was  a  sixty  fathom  line,  "all  gone,"  and  the 
officer  yet  only  half  way  to  the  drowning  man.  It 
was  too  late  to  splice  another.  Had  it  been  thought 
of  in  time  the  man  might  have  been  saved.  A 
longer  struggle  was  useless,  and  the  officer  allowed 
himself  to  be  hauled  aboard,  leaving  the  helpless 
man  to  go  to  his  last  account.     That  is  always  the 

92 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


difficulty  with  man's  effort  to  save  the  lost.  It 
does  not  reach  far  enough  and  fails  just  at  the 
time  when  it  ought  to  hold. 

2.  God's  way.  The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  His 
Son  cleanses  us  from  all  sin,  that  is  God's  message. 
"Let  the  wicked  forsake  his  way  and  the  unright- 
eous man  his  thought  and  let  him  return  unto  the 
Lord  and  He  will  have  mercy  upon  him,  and  unto 
our  God  for  He  will  abundantly  pardon."  This  is 
God's  invitation. 

"I,  even  I,  am  he  that  blotteth  out  thy  trans- 
gressions for  mine  own  sake,  and  will  not  remember 
thy  sins."  This  is  God's  pledge,  and  He  has  never 
failed  to  keep  it. 

In  the  old  days  when  England  and  Scotland  were 
at  war  the  English  came  up  against  Bruce.  They 
drove  him  from  his  castle  and  as  he  fled  away  from 
them  they  let  loose  his  own  bloodhounds  and  set 
them  upon  his  trail.  His  case  seemed  hopeless.  He 
can  hear  the  bay  of  the  hounds  in  the  distance  and 
those  who  were  with  him  had  just  about  given  up 
in  despair.  But  not  so  with  Bruce.  He  comes  to  a 
stream,  flowing  through  the  forest,  he  plunges  in 
wades  three  bow  shots  up  the  stream  and  then  out 
upon  the  other  side.  The  hounds  came  up  to  the 
stream,  stopped  and  sniffed.  They  had  lost  the 
track.  They  turned  back  defeated  and  Bruce  in  time 
won  the  day.  Is  it  not  like  this  with  our  sins  ?  Like 
a  pack  of  hounds  they  are  after  us,  wherever  we 
flee  they  are  close  upon  us.  "The  wages  of  sin  is 
death,"  I  am  told,  but  I  have  found  the  way  of  es- 
cape.    Here  flows  a  stream  which  runs  red  with 

93 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  and  I  plunge  in  and  am 
free. 

*'Thcre  is  a  fountain  filled  with  blood, 
Drawn  from  Imrnanuel's  veins ; 
And  sinners  plunged  beneath  that  flood 
Lose  all  their  guilty  stains." 


94 


CHAPTER    TENTH. 

A  MESSAGE  TO  MEN  ON  THE  GRACE  OF 
GQD. 

"I,  even  I,  am  he  that  blotteth  out  thy  trans- 
gressions for  mine  own  sake,  and  will  not  remember 
thy  sins."    Isaiah  4^:  25. 

A  part  of  this  chapter  I  owe  to  another.  In  look- 
ing over  an  old  volume  of  sermons  preached  by 
H.  Grattan  Guinness,  forty-five  years  ago,  I  came 
across  the  message  which  he  delivered  with  this 
text  as  a  basis.  So  deep  was  the  impression 
made  upon  me  by  my  first  reading  of  the  sermon 
that  1  have  taken  Mx.  Guinness'  outline  and  many 
of  his  suggestions  and  call  your  attention  to  a  great 
message  to  men. 

He  said:  "If  one  should  enter  a  jewelry  store 
and  ask  to  see  a  diamond  or  any  other  precious 
stone  the  jeweler  would  first  spread  upon  his  show 
case  a  black  cloth  and  then  place  the  diamonds 
upon  it,  not  only  for  protection,  but  also  in  order 
that  the  black  background  might  bring  out  dis- 
tinctly the  brilliancy  and  worth  of  the  gems."  So 
God  gives  his  best  of  all  His  promises  with  the 
dark  picture  of  sin  clearly  and  thoughtfully  por- 
trayed. In  verses  22nd  to  the  24th  we  read,  "But 
thou  hast  not  called  upon  me,  O  Jacob,  but  thou 
hast  been  weary  of  me,  O  Israel.  Thou  hast  not 
brought  me  the  small  cattle  of  my  burnt  offerings; 

95 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


neither  hast  thou  honored  me  with  thy  sacrifices. 
I  have  not  caused  thee  to  serve  with  an  offering, 
nor  wearied  thee  with  incense.  Thou  hast  broujii^ht 
me  no  sweet  cane  with  money,  neither  hast  thou 
filled  me  with  the  fat  of  thy  sacrifices;  but  thou 
hast  made  me  to  serve  with  thy  sins,  thou  hast 
wearied  me  with  thine  iniquities." 

And  in  these  verses  God  says  that  His  people 
have  not  called  upon  Him  in  prayer,  they  have  not 
presented  their  offerings,  neither  have  they  pre- 
sented unto  Him  themselves.  He  also  afiirms  that 
they  have  wearied  of  Him  and  that  they  have  also 
wearied  Him  with  their  iniquities,  and  then  He 
exclaims,  "I  have  not  served  you  with  offerings, 
neither  have  I  wearied  you  with  incense'' ;  and  with 
these  clear  statements  He  gives  us  the  gracious 
statement  of  the  text,  "I,  even  I,  am  he  that  blot- 
teth  out  thy  transgressions  for  mine  own  sake,  and 
will  not  remember  thy  sins." 

Notice  the  division  of  the  text. 

First:    They  are  blotted  out  from  God's  Book. 

Second:    They  are  blotted  out  with  God's  hand. 

Third:    They  are  blotted  out  for  His  sake. 

Fourth:    They  are  blotted  from  His  memory. 

A  more  admirable  outline  of  a  text  of  scripture 
I  do  not  know,  a  more  cheering  message  for  a  child 
of  God  I  have  never  found. 

I. 

Not  long  ago  in  Chicago  a  young  man  was  in- 
duced to  confess  to  one  whom  he  thought  was  his 
friend  the  killing  of  his  father  and  mother.     As 
96 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


the  confession  was  being  made,  as  he  supposed  to 
but  one  person,  it  was  all  being  taken  down  by  those 
who  were  near  enough  to  hear  him  speak,  and  when 
he  appeared  before  the  court  his  own  confession 
was  used  against  him  and  sent  him  to  a  life  im- 
prisonment in  the  penitentiary.  What  was  true  of 
this  young  man  is  true  of  us.  Every  sermon  the 
minister  preaches  is  recorded,  every  word  an  indi- 
vidual speaks  is  put  down.  It  is  a  solemn  thought 
to  realize  that  we  shall  give  account  at  the  judgment 
even  for  our  idle  words. 

Science  has  proven  that  our  acts,  our  words  and 
even  our  thoughts  make  their  indelible  record. 

Not  long  ago  in  our  home  we  came  across  a  long 
unused  phonograph.  We  started  it  going,  placing 
upon  it  one  of  the  cylinders  which  had  been  packed 
away  with  the  phonograph,  and  were  startled  to 
hear  the  voice  of  one  who  had  been  dead  for  years. 
We  heard  the  message  he  dictated,  the  song  in 
which  he  joined  and  the  laugh  with  which  he  closed 
it,  and  yet  his  voice  has  long  been  silent  in  death. 
There  is  not  a  sin  of  your  youth  which  has  not 
made  its  record,  not  a  passion  of  your  mature  years 
that  does  not  stand  somewhere  against  you.  Not 
an  act,  a  feeling  or  an  imagination  that  has  not 
been  indelibly  written,  not  all  the  changes  of  time, 
not  all  the  efforts  of  man  can  wipe  these  things  out. 

In  the  British  Museum  there  is  a  piece  of  stone, 
not  larger  than  the  average  Bible,  at  least  four 
thousand  years  old,  and  in  the  center  of  the  stone 
there  is  a  mark  of  a  bird's  foot ;  four  thousand  years 
ae:o  the   track   was  made   and   for    four   thousand 


97 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


years  the  record  has  stood.  If  these  things  are  true 
of  us  and  they  are  according  to  the  Word  of  God, 
then  what  prospect  is  there  for  us  but  that  of  eter- 
nal punishment,  for  when  we  stand  at  the  judg- 
ment there  shall  appear  before  us  the  sins  of  omis- 
sion and  the  sins  of  commission,  the  sins  we  had 
forgotten  and  the  sins  we  have  but  recently  com- 
mitted against  ourselves,  against  our  fellow  men 
and  against  God.  It  is  indeed  a  black  picture,  and 
with  whitened  faces  and  rapidly  beating  hearts  we 
ask,  is  there  any  hope?  I  bring  you  God's  gracious 
answer  to  this  important  question,  "I,  even  I,  am 
He  that  blotteth  out  thy  transgressions  for  mine 
own  sake,  and  will  not  remember  thy  sins."  No- 
tice it  is  the  voice  of  God  speaking.  "I,  even  I," 
he  exclaims,  "will  blot  out  your  transgressions." 
It  is  first  of  all  a  commercial  term.  We  were  in 
debt  with  God,  hopelessly  in  debt  and  our  obliga- 
tion was  cancelled ;  over  against  my  sin  is  placed 
the  righteousness  of  the  Son  of  God,  and  I  am  free. 

"Jesus  paid  it  all, 
All  to  Him  I  owe, 
Sin  had  left  a  crimson  stain, 
He  washed  it  white  as  snow." 

It  is  second  a  chemical  expression,  for  it  is  a 
picture  of  God  applying  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ 
to  every  page  of  the  record  written.  The  sins  of 
our  youth  long  ago  passed  out  of  mind,  the  sins  of 
our  manhood  which  have  taken  up  every  part  of 
our  being,  the  sins  of  to-day  all  have  gone,  for  He 
Himself  has  blotted  them  out.  When  wc  realize 
that  we  are  forgiven  of  God  it  means  more  than 

98 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


if  we  were  forgiven  of  men,  for  in  the  might  of 
His  forgiveness  our  past  sins  are  gone,  they  shall 
not  even  be  mentioned  against  us,  the  fear  of  judg- 
ment is  taken  away,  for  Jesus  Himself  says,  "Verily, 
verily,  I  say  unto  you,  he  that  heareth  my  word, 
and  believeth  on  Him  that  sent  me,  hath  everlast- 
ing life,  and  shall  not  come  into  judgment,  but  is 
passed  from  death  unto  life."  John  5 :  24.  It  is 
the  Passover  story  over  again,  "When  I  see  the 
blood  I  will  pass  over  you."  Thus  are  our  sins 
blotted  out. 

11. 

It  is  with  God's  hand  that  the  work  is  done,  and 
for  very  many  reasons  this  is  a  great  comfort  to 
us. 

First.  Because  it  was  God's  hand  that  made  the 
record,  He  it  was  who  put  down  all  your  sins.  He 
never  rested  in  His  work;  week  after  week,  month 
after  month,  year  after  year,  the  recording  work 
was  being  done  until  your  record  became  blacker 
than  the  blackest  midnight,  and  behold  the  hand 
that  made  the  record  blots  it  out. 

Second.  It  was  His  hand  against  which  you 
offended.  Your  sin  was  against  yourself.  It  is 
true  it  hurt  your  character,  lowered  your  self  res- 
pect, but  more  especially  was  it  against  God,  for 
you  despised  His  authority,  forsook  His  service, 
broke  His  laws,  defied  His  justice,  you  grieved  His 
spirit  and  you  crucified  His  Son;  and  behold  it  is 
the  hand  against  which  you  committed  all  these 
offenses  which  blotted  out  your  transgressions. 

99 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


Third.  It  is  the  offended  hand  which  blots 
them  out.  It  was  the  hand  that  opened  the  foun- 
tains of  the  deep,  and  behold  the  floods  came,  the 
waters  above  and  the  waters  below  clasped  their 
hands  and  destruction  was  everywhere  save  in  the 
Ark.  It  was  His  hand  that  brought  destruction 
upon  the  cities  and  the  plain,  consuming  them  with 
a  mighty  flame,  and  it  was  His  hand  that  opened 
the  sea  for  the  children  of  Israel  and  then  closed 
the  sea  over  the  pursuing  Egyptians.  The  very 
thought  of  the  offended  hand  makes  us  tremble,  but 
behold  it  is  this  hand  that  blots  out  all  our  trans- 
gressions. 

Fourth.  It  is  the  hand  of  justice  that  does  the 
work.  The  same  hand  wrote,  "Your  sin  shall  not 
be  unpunished,"  and  wrote  again,  "The  soul  that 
sinneth  it  shall  die,"  and  wrote  again,  "The  wages 
of  sin  is  death."  This  hand  is  stretched  forth  in 
our  behalf.  I  doubt  not  the  question  has  often 
come  to  us,  "How  can  God  be  just  and  the  justi- 
fier  of  them  that  believe?"  In  the  light  of  such 
statements  as  these  just  quoted  I  am  sure  it  is  for 
this  reason.  It  is  for  the  offering  of  the  just  for  the 
unjust.  He  made  Him  to  be  sin  for  us  who  knew 
no  sin  that  we  might  be  made  the  righteousness  of 
God  in  Him.  A  man  was  needed  for  such  an  offer- 
ing and  Christ  became  man.  The  man  required 
must  be  born  under  the  law,  so  Christ  came  in  the 
likeness  of  sinful  flesh.  The  man  born  under  the 
law  must  be  without  sin,  so  He  was  born  pure.  The 
man  born  under  the  law  and  without  sin  must  be 
willing  to  die  and  so  He  came  saying,  "I  delight  to 
loo 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


do  thy  will,  O  God."  And  the  man  born  under 
the  law,  without  sin  and  wilHng  to  die  must  be 
able  to  provide  an  atonement  which  would  make  the 
wandering  sinner  and  the  loving  God  one,  and  so 
Christ  was  offered  to  God  and  thus  furnished  a 
joint  sacrifice  of  sufficient  power  and  magnitude 
to  save  the  whole  world.  It  is  this  hand  of  God  that 
blots  out  our  transgressions. 

Fifth.  It  is  the  hand  of  the  Supreme  Being  that 
does  the  work.  What  a  word  of  encouragement 
this  is !  It  was  this  hand  that  made  the  worlds  and 
hurled  them  off  into  space.  It  was  this  hand  that 
created  man  and  made  him  in  the  likeness  of  the 
image  of  God.  It  was  this  hand  that  formed  the 
countless  number  of  angels  and  has  ever  directed 
their  Heavenly  movements.  It  was  this  hand  that 
wrote  the  word  upon  Sinai.  And  it  was  this  hand 
that  holds  the  kingdoms  of  Heaven  and  Hell,  He 
blots  out  our  transgressions.  From  His  position 
there  can  be  no  appeal ;  with  such  a  work  as  this 
who  shall  lay  anything  to  the  charge  of  God's  elect  ? 
Would  God  that  justifieth  do  it,  or  Christ  that  died 
consent  to  it?  In  the  light  of  such  a  thought  the 
Apostle  Paul  says,  "For  I  am  persuaded  that  neither 
death,  nor  life,  nor  angels,  nor  principalities,  nor 
powers,  nor  things  present,  nor  things  to  come, 
nor  height,  nor  death,  nor  any  other  creature,  shall 
be  able  to  separate  us  from  the  love  of  God,  which 
is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord."     Romans  8 :  38-39. 


lOI 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


III. 

Our  sins  are  blotted  out  for  His  sake.  God  saves 
the  sinner  not  alone  because  of  pity  for  the  sinner, 
and  certainly  not  alone  because  he  is  in  danger  of 
Hell,  but  in  order  that  He  may  glorify  Himself; 
and  this  is  no  selfish  glorification  but  rather  in  order 
that  He  may  show  to  us  now  and  throughout  all  the 
ages  what  He  really  is.  God  has  made  different 
revelations  of  Himself.  We  have  beheld  His  wis- 
dom in  creation,  in  His  providences  and  in  His 
word.  We  have  seen  His  justice  in  that  He  gave 
His  only  begotten  Son  to  die  for  poor  lost  men ; 
we  have  seen  His  power  in  the  working  of  miracles 
and  the  transforming  effect  of  His  grace.  It  remains 
for  us  to  see  His  love  in  the  story  of  salvation,  for 
until  you  behold  Him  as  a  Savior  of  the  sinner 
you  do  not  know  Him.  It  is  this  that  shall  make 
us  not  only  rejoice  here  in  time  but  rejoice  with  joy 
unspeakable  in  eternity.  The  Apostle  Paul  whites 
in  Ephesians  2  7-8,  "That  in  the  ages  to  come  he 
might  shew  the  exceeding  riches  of  his  grace  in 
his  kindness  toward  us  through  Christ  Jesus.  For 
by  grace  are  ye  saved  through  faith ;  and  that  not 
of  yourselves,  it  is  the  gift  of  God." 

IV. 

Our  sins  are  blotted  out  from  God's  memory. 
The  last  of  this  wonderful  text  is  to  me  the  best. 
When  we  detect  a  failure  of  memory  here  in  this 
world  among  our  friends  it  is  an  evidence  of  weak- 

102 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


ness,  but  it  is  no  weakness  in  God  to  forget.  I  was 
listening  not  long  ago  to  a  distinguished  lecturer, 
one  of  America's  old  heroes,  when  suddenly  he 
paused,  became  greatly  confused  and  turned  help- 
lessly to  his  audience.  The  name  of  one  of  his  great 
characters  had  passed  from  his  memory  and  he  could 
not  recall  it.  I  heard  a  gentleman  sitting  near  me 
say,  "This  is  the  beginning  of  the  end  with  the  old 
general" ;  and  it  was  so,  for  in  a  few  months  he  was 
dead.  This  is  but  another  one  of  those  expressions 
descriptive  of  God  in  which  human  language  is 
used  to  describe  a  great  thought  and  in  which  human 
language  is  too  poor  an  agency  to  convey  all  the 
depth  of  the  meaning.  It  is  just  another  picture 
of  God  stooping  down  to  meet  our  weakness  and  it 
is  God  assuring  us  that  our  sins  are  gone  completely. 
It  is  as  if  they  never  had  existed,  for  they  shall 
never  stand  against  us,  and  in  the  day  of  judgment 
they  shall  not  even  be  mentioned.  Our  sins  must 
have  been  a  grief  to  Him  just  as  the  sin  of  a  child 
here  is  the  cause  of  sorrow  to  an  earthly  parent,  but 
they  are  so  no  longer  for  He  has  forgotten.  The 
Bible  represents  God  as  being  angry  because  of  our 
transgressions  but  if  ever  there  was  anger  with  Him 
it  is  so  no  longer,  for  you  cannot  be  angry  with  a 
person  whose  injury  against  you  you  have  entirely 
forgotten.  We  do  not  in  this  world  speak  of  what 
we  have  forgotten,  nor  will  God  speak  of  our  sins. 
We  do  not  punish  what  we  have  forgotten,  nor  will 
God  permit  us  to  be  punished,  for  He  has  blotted 
out  our  transgressions  and  will  remember  them  no 
more.  There  is  no  awaiting  penalty  for  your  sin, 
103 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


there  is  no  judgment  to  meet  at  the  great  white 
throne,  there  is  no  Hell  for  you  at  the  last,  for  your 
sins  for  Christ's  sake  have  been  forgotten. 

If  you  cast  a  stone  into  the  water  and  it  sinks 
away  there  is  for  a  time  a  ripple  where  the  stone 
has  gone  down,  but  in  a  moment  it  has  gone  for- 
ever, you  can  see  it  no  more.  So  God  has  cast  our 
sins  into  the  sea  and  the  place  where  they  have 
gone  cannot  even  be  found. 

V. 

But  what  must  I  do  to  take  advantage  of  all  this 
gracious  offer  of  God?  1  answer  according  to  the 
scripture,  there  must  be  true  repentance.  Repent- 
ance is  a  change  of  mind,  it  is  having  a  new  mind 
for  God.  There  must  be  regeneration ;  regeneration 
is  a  change  of  nature,  it  is  a  new  heart  for  God. 
There  must  be  conversion ;  conversion  is  a  change 
of  living  and  a  new  life  for  God.  If  we  would  be 
born  from  above  we  must  accept  God's  word. 

Two  friends  were  conversing  one  evening.  One  of 
them  with  a  skeptical  mind  had  rejected  the  Bible, 
because  it  did  not  tell  him  the  things  that  he  would 
know.  He  insisted  on  knowing  how  the  worlds 
were  made,  and  demanded  that  he  should  be  told 
concerning  the  origin  of  Heaven  and  why  God  per- 
mitted it,  and  because  the  Bible  failed  here  he  would 
have  none  of  it.  Just  as  his  friend  was  leaving  the 
skeptic  said  to  him,  "Here  is  my  lantern.  I  want 
you  to  lake  it  and  it  will  light  you  home."  But  the 
lantern  was  refused  by  the  Christian  man,  for,  said 

104 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


he,  "This  lantern  will  not  light  up  the  mountains  in 
the  distance,  nor  the  valley  stretching  away  at  my 
feet."  His  friend  was  amazed.  "Man,"  said  he, 
"take  the  lantern ;  it  will  make  a  road  for  you  across 
the  moor  step  by  step  and  light  your  pathway  home." 
"Oh,"  said  the  man,  "if  that  is  true  I  will  take  it." 
"But  listen  to  me,"  said  his  friend.  "So  is  the  Bible, 
not  so  much  for  distant  paths  of  investigation,  it  is 
not  so  much  to  tell  us  concerning  creation  and  exist- 
ence, although  it  docs  shed  light  there,  however  we 
shall  know  these  things  by  and  by  perfectly.  It  is  for 
the  path  at  your  feet  and  it  will  light  you  home  a 
step  at  a  time."  The  skeptical  man  saw  it  in  an 
instant,  he  took  God's  word  and  came  back  again  to 
the  faith  of  his  childhood. 

So  I  offer  it  to  you,  with  its  promises  as  a  sure 
foundation ;  with  its  commands  carefully  received 
and  followed  out  you  too  may  pass  from  darkness 
to  light  and  you  may  claim  from  God  this  text  of 
mine  which  says,  "I,  even  I,  am  he  that  blotteth  out 
thy  transgressions  for  mine  own  sake,  and  will  not 
remember  thy  sins."  / 


105 


CHAPTER    ELEVENTH. 


A  CHURCH  FOR  MEN. 


To  one  acquainted  with  the  Rev.  S.  B.  Alderson, 
D.  D.,  of  Portsmouth,  Ohio,  and  his  work,  it  would 
ahnost  seem  as  if  the  absence 
of  men  from  the  services  of  the 
church  were  largely  the  fault  of 
the  minister  himself.  For  sev- 
eral years  Dr.  Alderson  has 
been  conducting,  in  connection 
with  his  church,  a  successful 
Sunday  afternoon  service  for 
men.  The  attendance  began 
with  eight  present.  It  is  now  a 
very  ordinary  thing  to  see  five 
or  six  hundred  men  in  the  au- 
dience every  Sunday  afternoon. 
At  my  suggestion  Dr.  Aider- 
son  writes  concerning  his  work  as  follows : 

A  few  years  ago  in  a  meeting  for  men,  conducted 
by  J.  Wilbur  Chapman,  I  received  a  precious  bless- 
ing upon  my  own  soul  and  there  made  up  my  mind 
that  throughout  the  remainder  of  my  ministry,  be  it 
long  or  short,  I  would  devote  more  effort  than  in  the 
past  to  that  large  indifferent  and  neglected  popula- 
tion who  had  so  much  in  this  world  to  contend 
against — who  realize  so  little  their  eternal  danger — 
whom  I  had  always  found  a  hopeful  element  to  work 
io6 


REV.  S.  B.  ALDERSON. 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


with  when  properly  approached, — that  I  would  by 
God's  grace  and  assistance  try  to  save  the  men.  My 
church  at  that  time  did  not  differ  from  the  ordinary 
run  of  churches,  having  a  small  nucleus  of  devoted 
members  and  a  majority  attendance  of  females  upon 
its  regular  religious  services.  The  problem  now 
was  "how  to  reach  the  men  with  the  Gospel,"  for 
I  had  no  advantages  either  in  myself  or  in  my  con- 
gregation, except  that  of  an  humble,  faithful  pastor 
and  preacher.  The  work  was  before  me.  How  to 
inaugurate  it  and  at  the  same  time  enlist  the  en- 
thusiasm and  co-operation  of  my  own  male  church 
members,  was  the  question  to  be  decided.  The  wo- 
men had  their  literary  and  musical  clubs  which 
brought  them  together  frequently — which  they 
greatly  enjoyed,  which  they  enthusiastically  at- 
tended— but  there  was  nothing  of  the  kind  which 
brought  the  men  together  in  assemblies  outside  of 
their  narrow  denominational  church  services.  The 
men  met  one  another  in  their  daily  business  rela- 
tions but  in  higher  social  and  spiritual  relations 
they  really  were  not  acquainted.  Nothing  ever 
threw  them  together  in  this  capacity.  Church  and 
social  circles  had  formed  cliques  and  rings  which 
brought  the  same  individuals  into  frequent  contact 
with  one  another,  but  there  was  no  wider  tie  of  mu- 
tual interest  which  brought  them  together  as  a  body^ 
massed  for  the  purpose  of  studying  their  moral  and 
religious  interest.  Assuming  that  they  would  appre- 
ciate this  higher  movement  in  their  behalf,  I  an- 
nounced a  meeting  in  the  lecture  room  of  my  church 
to  be  held  on  Friday  evenings,  throughout  the  win- 
107 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


ter  months.  I  then  selected  two  or  three  live  topics 
of  local  interest  about  which  men  were  thinking  and 
started  off  to  find  a  few  well  known  and  thoughtful 
men  in  the  community  who  would  consent  to  open 
the  discussion  upon  these  several  topics.  On  the 
first  evening  it  rained  and  only  eight  men  were  pres- 
ent. In  a  few  weeks,  however,  the  interest  extended 
to  a  wider  circle  of  men  and  we  soon  had  an  average 
attendance  at  the  meeting  of  over  two  hundred  men. 
These  meetings  were  never  organized.  They  had 
no  name,  no  officers,  no  expenses,  no  constitution 
nor  by-laws ;  only  a  committee  of  three  selected  to 
provide  topics  and  assign  them  to  qualified  speakers. 
The  subject  of  religion  was  never  once  introduced, 
neither  by  song,  nor  by  prayer.  The  object  was  to 
bring  men  together  as  nearly  as  possible  upon  an 
equal  degree  of  freedom  and  that  no  man  should 
have  his  convictions  or  prejudices  wounded,  no  mat- 
ter what  might  be  his  denominational  or  political 
opinions.  The  discussions  were  opened  to  all  alike. 
Even  the  pastor  did  not  assume  any  privileges  or 
ofiiciousness  above  the  others.  He  was  the  most 
quiet  and  modest  man  in  the  company.  He  went 
there  not  to  tell  others  what  he  knew,  but  to  gather 
from  the  experience  and  thought  of  the  others  all 
that  they  had  learned,  and  he  hereby  acknowledges 
that  he  gained  much  practical  information  of  men 
and  their  ways,  which  has  since  been  of  estimable 
value.  The  pastor's  supreme  effort  was  to  bring 
these  men  together  socially,  to  help  them  to  know 
each  other,  to  draw  them  toward  himself,  to  win 
their  esteem  and  affection,  so  that  he  might  be  use- 
io8 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


fill  to  ihcm  in  the  future.  It  required  a  good  deal 
of  tact  not  to  offend  their  prejudices  nor  to  antag- 
onize their  opinions  and  to  hide  from  view  his  own 
ultimate  motive,  but  it  won  in  the  end. 

Perhaps  an  intimation  of  the  nature  of  the  topics 
selected  and  discussed  at  these  meetings  would  be 
interestmg.  The  aim  was  to  make  everything  in- 
tensely helpful  and  instructive  to  young  men,  who 
because  of  their  daily  employment  did  not  have  time 
either  to  read  or  attend  school.  The  point  was  to 
get  the  older  and  experienced  and  successful  to  tell 
for  the  benefit  of  others  what  they  had  learned. 
Some  of  the  topics  as  I  remember  them  were  these : 
"An  Easy  and  Practical  Lesson  in  Arithmetic,"  by 
the  principal  of  the  Business  College.  "Banking, 
The  Deposit,  Circulation  and  Protection  of  Money," 
by  a  banker.  "Wages,  How  to  Invest  Small  Sav- 
ings," by  a  manufacturer.  "Building  and  Loan  As- 
sociations, How  They  are  Managed,  and  What  Ad- 
vantages They  Offer  to  Small  Investors,"  by  the 
president  of  one  of  these  associations.  "How  to 
Make  Farming  Pay,"  by  a  farmer.  "The  Personal 
Care  of  the  Human  Body,"  by  a  physician,  "The 
Sanitary  Care  of  the  Home,"  by  a  physician.  "Legal 
P^orms  for  Drawing  up  Notes,  Bills,  Contracts  and 
JMortgages,"  illustrated  on  the  blackboard  by  an  at- 
torney. To  my  personal  knowledge  many  men  de- 
rived valuable  financial,  commercial  and  physical 
benefit  from  the  discussion  of  these  and  kindred 
themes. 

These  meetings  continued  through  two  winters, 
with  unabated  interest.     No  one  derived  more  good 


109 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


from  them  than  did  the  writer.  He  learned  to  know 
men — their  habits  of  thought — their  pecuHar  in- 
clinations— what  interested  them — what  would  at- 
tract them — what  good  thing  remained  in  them  un- 
derneath all  their  roughness — how  to  love  them  and 
talk  to  them — how  to  win  their  confidence  and  ad- 
miration— and  how  to  point  them  to  that  Savior, 
Whom  he  now  knows,  the  heart  of  the  libertine,  ♦^he 
drunkard,  the  saloon  keeper,  and  the  gambler  longs 
to  find  and  rest  upon  in  peace. 

Before  the  second  winter  closed  an  additional 
"Men's  Meeting"  was  appointed  for  Sabbath  after- 
noons, to  be  of  a  Gospel  character  and  led  by  one 
of  their  own  number — some  man  of  approved 
Christian  standing.  An  invitation  was  extended  to 
all  male  persons  over  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  at 
the  same  time  a  promise  was  given  that  these  meet- 
ings would  be  undenominational — that  they  would 
not  be  in  the  interest  of  the  congregation  whose 
church  building  was  occupied,  but  that  the  sole  pur- 
pose would  be  to  quicken  the  religious  life  in  men — 
to  bring  them  to  see  their  need  of  Christ  as  the 
Savior  of  sinners — as  the  safe  and  only  reliable 
shelter  against  their  manifold  temptations;  and  then, 
after  they  were  converted,  to  send  them  to  unite  with 
the  church  of  their  choice,  whether  Protestant  or 
Catholic.  Men  will  act  with  more  freedom  in  the 
presence  of  men,  than  in  a  mixed  audience,  hence 
the  rule  barring  out  boys  was  kindly  enforced.  The 
promise,  never  to  ask  any  man  converted  in  these 
meetings  to  unite  with  the  writer's  church  nor  to 
use  these  meetings  in  any  way  to  the  writer's  per- 
iio 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


sonal  advantage,  has  been  strictly  adhered  to  both 
by  myself  and  my  co-workers,  until  the  whole  com- 
munity has  learned  to  confide  in  our  integrity — to 
admire  our  unselfishness — to  believe  that  we  are  hon- 
est and  have  the  glory  of  God  and  the  welfare  of 
men  truly  at  heart.  It  took  the  people  some  time  to 
find  this  out,  but  the  number  of  men  who  have  gone 
into  the  other  churches,  when  some  of  them  pre- 
ferred my  church,  has  disarmed  prejudice  and  sus- 
picion completely.  Whenever  these  men  have  talked 
with  me  I  have  insisted  that  they  accept  Christ  first 
of  all  and  after  that  I  have  advised  them  to  anchor 
in  the  church  where  their  families  or  where  their 
peculiar  inclinations  and  ties  might  lead  them.  Di- 
visions in  the  home  have  been  carefully  guarded 
against.  And  let  me  say — this  broad,  honest  Chris- 
tian method,  closely  followed,  has  commended  itself 
to  sensible  men  every  where,  both  in  the  church  and 
outside  of  the  church,  and  has  proven  one  of  the 
most  powerful  factors  in  this  work.  This  method 
has  allayed  the  fear  of  pastors  and  invited  the  co- 
operation of  all  good  people.  The  motive  is  high, 
unobjectionable  and  cannot  be  disputed.  Sectar- 
ianism, denominationalism,  ecclesiastical  rivalry 
men  dislike  and  hold  themselves  aloof  from,  until 
they  become  converted  ;  after  that  they  become  wiser 
and  more  charitable  toward  what  seems  to  be  the 
necessary  condition  of  the  church  upon  earth. 

Now  as  to  the  meetings.     How  to  arrange  and 

conduct  them.     A  successful  meeting  of  any  kind 

must  be  planned  and  provided  for  in  advance.    The 

first  thing  necessary  is  a  cordial  greeting  to  every 

III 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


man  who  attends.  Let  him  meet  this  atmosphere  of 
welcome  on  the  threshold  as  he  enters  the  building. 
Show  him  that  the  meeting  has  a  smile  and  an  ex- 
tended hand  for  him.  Have  a  committee  of  genial 
and  popular  men  at  the  door  to  receive  the  first  per- 
son who  enters.  As  for  myself  I  never  fail,  as  the 
pastor  of  the  church,  to  shake  hands  and  speak  a 
kind  word  to  every  man  before  he  leaves  the  room. 

Then  be  careful  not  to  make  any  distinctions  be- 
tween men — not  to  show  any  preference  or  partiality 
in  the  manner  of  your  greeting.  Let  every  one — 
the  well  dressed  or  the  poorly  clad — the  man  of 
wealth  or  the  man  of  poverty — the  man  who  stands 
high  or  the  man  who  is  rated  low — every  one  receive 
the  glad  hand.  Ponder  and  act  upon  the  words  of 
the  Apostle  James : 

"For  if  there  come  unto  your  assembly  a  man  with 
a  gold  ring,  in  goodly  apparel,  and  there  come  in 
also  a  poor  man  in  vile  raiment ; 

"And  ye  have  respect  to  him  that  weareth  the  gay 
clothing,  and  say  unto  him,  sit  thou  here  in  a  good 
place ;  and  say  to  the  poor,  stand  thou  there,  or  sit 
here  under  my  footstool ; 

"Are  ye  not  then  partial  in  yourselves,  and  are 
become  judges  of  evil  thoughts? 

"Hearken,  my  beloved  brethren,  hath  not  God 
chosen  the  poor  of  this  world  rich  in  faith,  and 
heirs  of  the  kingdom  which  he  hath  promised  to 
them  that  love  Him  ? 

"But  ye  have  despised  the  poor.  Do  not  rich  men 
oppress  you,  and  draw  you  before  the  judgment 
seats  ? 

112 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


"Do  not  they  blaspheme  that  worthy  name  by  the 
which  ye  are  called  ? 

"If  ye  fulfill  the  royal  law,  according  to  the  scrip- 
ture, thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself,  ye  do 
well; 

"But  if  ye  have  respect  to  persons,  ye  commit  sin, 
and  are  convinced  of  the  law  of  transgressors." 

Study  this  last  verse  carefully.  Many  of  us  have 
sinned  in  this  respect.  Our  transgressions  have 
turned  the  face  of  God  away  from  our  effort.  So 
many  ministers  and  church  workers  select  from  the 
community  the  men  whom  they  want  saved,  because 
these  men  are  their  relatives  and  a  selfish  desire  will 
be  gratified — because  these  men  will  give  standing 
to  the  church  of  which  they  are  members — because 
their  change  of  life  will  increase  the  pastor's  re- 
nown— because  their  offerings  will  strengthen  the 
church's  financial  situation  and  make  the  salaries 
secure.  Are  these  proper  motives  for  any  Gospel 
worker?  How  they  weaken  the  attack  upon  a  sin- 
ner's security  when  no  higher  motive  than  this  pre- 
vails in  the  mind.  Successful  work  must  be  unsel- 
fish and  altogether  for  God's  glory.  My  experience 
is  that  if  a  minister  values  men  by  the  worth  of  their 
souls — and  sees  in  every  man  whom  he  meets,  irre- 
spective of  clothes,  habits  or  standing,  the  same 
value — and  his  supreme  aim  is  "to  save  a  soul  from 
death,"  God  will  look  upon  his  ministry  with  favor 
and  he  will  have  his  reward — from  Heaven.  This 
may  not  be  a  popular  idea  to  enforce  in  some 
churches,  but  it  is  scriptural  and  right.  In  all  of 
the  writer's  ministry,  and  especially  in  revival  serv- 

H  113 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


ices,  he  has  endeavored  to  impress  his  church  people 
with  this  idea  and  has  insisted  that  they  should  not 
pick  out  the  men  of  their  own  choosing  for  the  hon- 
ors of  salvation,  but  take  them  in  the  order  in  which 
providence  sends  them,  talk  to  them  just  as  you 
happen  to  meet  them,  for  God  is  directing  in  this 
matter  as  in  all  things  and  it  is  our  duty  to  seize 
His  opportunities,  not  waiting  for  those  of  our  own 
making.  There  was  never  an  outpouring  of  any 
great  power  in  any  of  the  churches  served  by  my- 
self, except  first  the  people  became  as  willing  to 
save  a  drunkard  as  a  moral  man — as  happy  to  save 
a  gambler  as  an  honest  man — as  anxious  to  save  a 
saloon  keeper  as  the  most  respectable  man  in  the 
community. 

God  taught  me  this  lesson  years  ago  in  a  most 
striking  way.  I  was  pastor  of  a  church  at  Washing- 
ton Court  House,  Ohio.  For  five  weeks  I  preached 
to  a  faithful  few  in  the  lecture  room.  The  situa- 
tion seemed  to  be  getting  more  desperate  rather  than 
more  encouraging.  My  heart  was  breaking  under 
what  seemed  to  be  an  approaching  failure.  We 
needed  more  of  the  substantial,  influential,  well  to 
do  people  of  the  town  to  counteract  certain  influ- 
ences which  were  at  work  and  to  give  the  church  a 
higher  standing.  We  had  our  eyes  on  the  families 
whom  we  would  like  to  reach.  But  we  were  not 
reaching  them.  They  stood  ofif  as  usual  mocking 
at  our  calamity.  One  morning  a  number  of  men 
covenanted  that  they  would  go  out  that  day  and 
talk  religion  to  any  and  every  man  whom  they  met — 
that  they  would  invite  these  individuals  to  the  revival 

114 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


services,  no  matter  how  hard  and  wretched  and 
wicked  they  had  become.  Many  that  day  were 
startled  by  the  first  reHgions  conversation  of  their 
Hves.  This  was  kept  up  for  several  days  and  it  is 
needless  to  say  the  wedding  was  furnished  with 
guests.  Soon  the  town  was  on  fire  with  interest. 
The  main  audience  room  of  the  church  became 
crowded,  the  folding  doors  were  opened  to  accom- 
modate the  increasing  numbers  and  still  many  were 
turned  away.  Many  notable  conversions  occurred. 
We  reached  the  persons  whom  we  at  first  wanted  by 
beginning  with  the  lowest  strata  of  the  population 
and  working  upward.  In  the  following  four  weeks 
140  persons  were  received.  The  meetings  closed  on 
a  high  tide  because  the  pastor  had  become  physically 
exhausted.  The  character  of  the  work  was  quiet, 
deep,  permanent.  The  memory  of  it  remains  like 
a  sweet  fragrance  with  those  people  still.  Thus 
God  taught  us  not  "to  have  men's  persons  in  ad- 
miration" and  I  have  ever  tried  since  then  to  keep 
that  lesson  in  mind. 

Next  have  a  singing  book  for  every  man.  In 
this  day  of  inexpensive  song  books,  there  is  no  ex- 
cuse for  a  church  not  putting  a  book  into  the  hand 
of  every  man  in  the  meeting.  Have  a  male  organist 
and  a  male  leader  of  the  singing.  This  is  not  the 
place  for  a  choir  nor  for  fine  singing.  Men  hear 
enough  of  that  in  the  usual  church  service.  Have 
the  men  do  their  own  singing.  Let  them  read  the 
words  of  the  hymns  and  hear  their  own  voices. 
Nothing  in  the  world  is  finer  or  more  inspiring  than 
the  voices  of  hundreds  of  men  singing  praises  unto 

115 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


God.  Give  the  singing  a  large  place  in  the  meeting. 
The  pastor  should  not  lead  the  meeting  himself, 
unless  special  existing  conditions  make  it  expedient 
that  once  in  a  while  he  should  preside.  Of  that  he 
must  be  the  judge.  His  opportunities  to  speak  are 
numerous ;  let  the  men  have  the  floor  if  you  are  go- 
ing to  have  a  men's  meeting.  The  great  point  is  to 
get  others  to  work,  to  bring  them  prominently  for- 
ward so  that  they  will  become  committed  to  the 
movement.  Do  not  lose  sight  of  this  aim.  Show 
your  tact  in  getting  others  to  take  hold.  Your 
leader  may  be  timid  but  assure  him  that  you  will 
stand  right  by  him  and  that  he  cannot  fail.  Sit  near 
him,  so  that  he  will  feel  the  strength  of  your  pr«s- 
ence  and  if  you  see  signs  of  his  becoming  embar- 
rassed, be  ready  in  an  instant  to  come  to  his  rescue 
before  he  realizes  that  he  is  breaking  down.  Do 
not  allow  any  long  silences  or  pauses  to  occur. 
Speak  to  a  dozen  men  in  advance  and  get  them  to 
promise  that  they  will  get  on  their  feet,  either  to 
pray  or  to  give  testimony  whenever  they  notice  that 
a  break  occurs.  It  is  a  great  thing  to  train  your 
church  members  to  take  a  voluntary  part  in  your 
mid-week  prayer  meeting  services.  As  a  rule  the 
writer  never  calls  upon  any  one  either  to  speak  or 
to  pray  in  his  Wednesday  evening  service.  We 
doubtless  kill  many  prayer  meetings  by  so  doing. 
We  call  upon  those  who  can  speak  to  edification 
as  a  rule  to  take  part  and  often  when  they  respond, 
they  do  so  simply  because  tb.cy  are  ashamed  to  de- 
cline, when  perhaps  the  spirit  of  devotion  is  abso- 
lutely foreign  to  their  hearts  at  the  time.     In  that 


ii6 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


case  the  whole  performance  is  a  mockery.  Throw 
the  meeting  open — give  God's  people  liberty.  Let 
the  Spirit  select  the  individuals  whom  He  would  use 
and  speak  through — and  if  you  find  the  spirit  is  not 
there  to  respond  voluntarily,  close  your  prayer  meet- 
ing earlier,  then  go  home  after  a  good  but  short 
service  rather  than  have  a  long  but  very  formal  one. 
What  you  want  is  prayer,  much  of  it  and  from  many 
lips.  It  will  require  training  to  develop  your  people 
in  this  direction  but  when  they  are  developed,  then 
you  can  use  them  everywhere. 

In  the  meetings  for  men  keep  things  going.  With 
a  wise  pastor  on  one  hand  and  a  good  leader  of  the 
singing  on  the  other,  together  with  a  ready  organ- 
ist, the  meeting  should  move  right  along.  I  have 
yet  to  see  the  first  man,  however  timid,  fail  and 
break  down  as  a  leader,  but  I  have  seen  God  use  the 
feeble  efforts  of  these  men  wonderfully  in  impress- 
ing others.  They  may  not  be  able  to  occupy  more 
than  eight  or  ten  minutes  in  remarks  but  that  is  all 
right.  What  they  do  say  comes  from  the  heart  and 
their  trembling  tones  give  great  weight  to  their 
messages.  Another  point  gained  in  having  as  many 
dift'erent  men  lead  as  possible  is  this,  then  the  meet- 
ing is  advertised  each  week  under  the  name  of 
a  new  leader  and  this  gives  variety — besides 
each  leader  has  his  special  friends  who  will 
come  out  of  curiosity  to  see  and  to  hear  him. 
Usually  the  leader  will  become  so  deeply  in- 
terested in  his  own  meeting  and  so  anxious  to 
have  it  surpass  the  others  in  attendance,  that  he  will 
spend  a  great  deal  of  time  personally  inviting  men 
117 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


and  will  print  cards  containing-  his  name  and  topic 
and  will  strew  these  through  the  shops  and  factories. 
The  matter  is  on  his  mind  all  the  while.  You  have 
no  idea  how  anxious  men  are  to  hear  what  the  Chris- 
tian man  who  lives  next  door,  who  works  in  the  same 
shop,  who  endures  the  same  trials  and  temptations 
— how  anxious  they  are  to  hear  these  men  tell  about 
the  power  of  religion  to  make  them  strong  and 
happy.  They  do  not  discuss  these  subjects  as  pri- 
vate individuals.  Everything-  else  is  talked  about 
but  not  this.    These  meetings  are  a  revelation. 

Be  sure  that  your  leader  is  a  person  of  reputable 
Christian  character — that  he  has  been  a  member  of 
the  church  long  enough  to  convince  others  of  his 
sincerity.  Take  him  right  into  your  pulpit  with  you 
and  let  him  see  that  your  desk  is  not  simply  a  place 
reserved  for  an  ordained  man  but  is  the  place  for 
any  man  whose  object  is  to  save  souls.  Let  him  see 
that  your  pulpit  is  not  a  place  for  proclaiming  alto- 
gether abstruse  theological  doctrines  nor  for  getting- 
off  fine  essays,  but  that  it  is  consecrated  to  God  for 
saving  men;  and  if  his  heart  is  yearning  for  his 
fellow  men,  he  can  stand  in  it  without  the  least 
embarrassment.  In  so  doing  you  bring  yourself 
as  a  minister  down  to  the  level  of  your  fellows — 
they  begin  to  look  upon  you  as  their  equal  and  their 
friend — they  will  love  and  admire  you,  and  your 
opportunity  over  them  will  become  wonderfully 
increased. 

Often  men  are  heard  to  remark  that  they  can 
hardly  wait  from  one  Sabbath  to  the  next,  so  anx- 
ious are  they  for  these  meetings  to  come.  And  the 
ii8 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


evidence  of  this  soul  longing  is  seen  in  the  fact  of 
their  coming  by  hundreds  from  all  directions  and 
gathering  at  the  doors  of  the  church  often  fifteen 
minutes  before  the  doors  are  open  or  before  the 
ringing  of  the  first  bell,  which  is  three  quarters  of 
an  hour  before  the  time  announced  for  the  meet- 
ing to  begin.  Some  of  the  notable  effects  of  these 
meetings  may  be  summarized  as  follows : 

First,  on  my  own  church,  which  has  a  large  num- 
ber of  male  members  on  its  roll  and  in  its  Sunday 
congregations — and  then  upon  our  Sabbath  school, 
where  the  attendance  of  males  never  fails  to  outnum- 
ber the  attendance  of  the  females.  This  is  unusual 
and  exceptional.  There  are  from  75  to  100  men  in 
our  Sabbath  school  every  Sabbath  morning. 

Secondly,  in  the  number  of  men  who  have  re- 
ceived their  first  impressions  in  these  meetings  and 
made  their  first  start,  either  by  rising  or  by  coming 
forward  for  prayer.  I  say  it  with  due  deliberation 
and  with  many  evidences  to  confirm  the  statement, 
that  it  is  my  sincere  belief  that  on  an  average  there 
has  been  a  man  converted  and  turned  to  God  in 
every  men's  meeting  which  we  have  held.  The 
presence  of  the  Spirit  is  very  marked.  Let  those 
take  courage  from  this  to  begin  the  work  ?nd  see 
what  God  will  do  for  them. 

Thirdly,  in  the  unusual  number  of  reformed  men 
in  this  city,  now  observed  and  often  spoken  of  by 
those  who  have  resided  here  for  a  long  time  and  who 
knew  how  these  men  lived  in  their  former  days. 
Now  their  faces  are  bright — their  bodies  have  the 
glow  of  health  since  the  liquor  has  gotten  out  of 

119 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


them — their  language  is  chaste  and  clean — their 
habits  are  good — their  clothes  have  improved  in 
quality — their  families  are  happy — their  places  in 
the  sanctuary  are  filled — many  of  them  will  lead  in 
public  prayer — their  influence  for  good  is  unbounded 
and  where  they  have  been  without  employment  we 
have  made  strenuous  efifort  to  find  something  for 
them  to  do. 

Fourthly,  other  churches  in  the  city  seeing  the  ad- 
vantage of  these  meetings  and  deriving  great  bene- 
fit from  them  in  the  way  of  male  additions  to  their 
membership,  have  followed  the  example  of  the  Sec- 
ond Presbyterian  Church,  and  often  our  largest  at- 
tendance has  been  on  the  very  Sabbath  afternoons 
when  there  were  three  or  four  other  men's  meetings 
announced  for  the  same  hour. 

The  deepest  and  most  genuine  revivals  in  my 
whole  experience  have  uniformly  commenced  with 
the  men.  Has  not  God  promised  that  it  should  be 
so? 

"Thus  saith  the  Lord  God ;  I  will  yet  for  this  be 
inquired  of  by  the  house  of  Israel,  to  do  it  for  them ; 
I  will  increase  them  with  men  like  a  flock.  As  the 
holy  flock,  as  the  flock  of  Jerusalem  in  her  solemn 
feasts;  so  shall  the  waste  cities  be  filled  with  flocks 
of  men ;  and  they  shall  know  that  I  am  the  Lord." 

Recently  in  the  men's  meeting,  conducted  in  this 
church  in  the  presence  of  hundreds  of  men,  the  fol- 
lowing thrilling  incident  occurred  which  brought 
tears  to  every  eye  and  left  its  impression  upon  every 
memory. 

Two  men  entered  the  room  together.     One  was 

I20 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


somewhat  in  the  fifties,  the  gray  predominated  in  the 
color  of  his  hair — his  mouth  was  covered  witli  a 
heavy  gray  mustache.  The  other  was  a  youth  of 
about  22 — with  a  smooth,  bright,  intellectual  face. 
They  were  strangers  to  most  of  the  men.  They  oc- 
cupied adjoining  chairs.  When  the  meeting  was 
about  half  through  the  older  man  of  the  two  arose 
with  his  arms  folded  across  his  breast  and  evident 
emotion  in  the  tones  of  his  voice  and  said :  "I  heard 
that  a  man  who  for  many  years  had  been  a  great 
drunkard  was  going  to  lead  this  meeting.  That  is 
my  trouble.  If  God  can  save  him,  will  he  not  save 
me?  Men,  pray  for  me" — and  with  that  he  took 
his  seat  overcome  by  his  feelings.  The  young  man 
at  his  side  bowed  his  head  in  a  lengthy  silence,  occa- 
sionally wiping  away  his  tears  with  his  thumb. 
After  he  had  gotten  somewhat  composed,  he  arose 
and  said:  "This  man  by  my  side  who  just  asked 
for  your  prayers  is  my  father.  I  do  not  know  what 
brought  him  to  this  meeting.  He  has  been  for  many 
years  a  hater  of  churches  and  Christian  people.  He 
has  been  such  a  wicked  man  and  such  an  unkind 
husband  and  father.  For  many  years  I  have  been 
ashamed  to  bear  his  name — ashamed  for  people  to 
know  that  I  was  his  child.  I  am  myself  a  Christian 
— a  student  in  the  seminary,  studying  theology,  and 
hope  some  day  to  preach  the  Gospel.  I  had  given  up 
my  father,  believing  him  to  be  beyond  redemption. 
I  doubted  whether  God  could  save  him.  This  is  the 
happiest  moment  of  my  life.  I  shall  never  cease  to 
thank  God  that  I  came  to  this  meeting.  I  shall  go 
back  to  my  school  with  the  happiest  heart  that  ever 

121 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


beat  in  the  bosom  of  a  man.  Ob,  men,  help  me  and 
do  not  forget  him  nor  let  him  go.  I  must  leave  him 
with  you.  Let  us  pray."  Then  dropping  upon  his 
knees,  oh,  what  a  prayer  that  boy  uttered  for  his 
father.  I  weep  as  I  write  about  it.  That  man  is 
now  a  Christian  and  a  church  member.  His  wife 
told  me  this  morning,  "I  never  hear  the  bell  for  your 
men's  meeting  that  I  do  not  thank  God  for  what 
your  church  is  doing  for  the  men  of  this  city."  His 
little  daughter,  six  years  old,  sitting  upon  the  floor, 
sewing  doll  rags,  overhearing  our  conversation, 
looked  up  into  her  mother's  face  and  said:  "I  re- 
member when  papa  got  his  gun  and  drove  us  away 
from  home." 


122 


CHAPTER  TWELFTH. 


DR.  MUNHALL'S  MESSAGE. 

The  following  sermon  is  by  L.  W.  Munhall, 
M.  A.,  D.  D.  (Evangelist),  Philadelphia.  It  is  much 
abridged  and  the  illustrations, 
which  are  quite  numerous,  are 
all  omitted.  It  has  always  been 
delivered  to  audiences  com- 
posed wholly  of  men — mostly 
young  men.  It  was  first  de- 
livered in  1872.  It  has  been  de- 
livered 269  times,  never  twice 
exactly  alike,  but  always  fol- 
lowing the  same  outlines  and 
treatment.  His  audiences  ranged 
from  150  to  8,600,  with  an 
average  of  nearly  1,800.  The 
sermon  has  never  been  given  without  conversions 
being  immediately  secured,  ranging  from  7  to  529, 
and  averaging  considerably  more  than  100  per 
service,  or  an  aggregate  of  about  30,000  souls.  The 
time  taken  in  its  delivery  has  never  been  less  than 
an  hour. 


DR.    L.    W.    MUNHALL. 


"Rejoice,  O  young  man,  in  thy  youth ;  and  let  thy 
heart  cheer  thee  in  the  days  of  thy  youth,  and  walk 
in  the  ways  of  thine  heart,  and  in  the  sight  of  thine 

123 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


eyes ;  but  know  thou,  that  for  all  these  things  God 
will  bring  thee  into  judgment."    Eccl.  11:9. 

Man  is  a  free  moral  agent.  He  can  do  right  or 
wrong,  can  go  to  Heaven  or  Hell,  as  he  pleases. 
If  his  mind  is  fully  set  to  do  wrong,  God  will  not 
coerce  him  into  doing  that  which  is  right.  If  he  is 
determined  to  go  to  Hell,  God  will  not  compel  him 
to  go  to  Heaven.  God  always  respects  man's  de- 
liberate choice.  As  He  said  to  His  ancient  people; 
"I  have  set  before  thee  life  and  death,  the  blessing 
and  the  curse  ;  therefore  choose  life,  that  thou  mayest 
live,"  and  just  so  does  He  leave  the  welfare  and 
destiny  of  all  men  in  their  own  keeping.  In  view 
of  the  tremendous  issues  of  life,  our  responsibility, 
gentlemen,  becomes  as  weighty  as  Eternity. 

While  God  tells  us,  in  effect,  to  do  as  we  please, 
He  yet  reminds  us  that  He  is  Sovereign  and  Judge, 
and  that  we  are  accountable  beings,  and  must,  there- 
fore, answer  to  Him  for  all  we  say  and  do  in  this 
life.  Make  your  own  choice,  gentlemen,  but  do  not 
forget  that  there  is  judgment  here  and  hereafter  for 
it  all.  If  you  always  have  this  inexorable  fact  in 
mind,  no  doubt  you  will  ever  choose  the  right  and 
the  good.     Such  is  the  teaching  of  my  text. 

What  are  the  ways  of  your  heart? 

I.  Some  one  of  you  may  have  set  his  heart  on 
getting  rich.  If  you  mean  to  get  your  money  hon- 
estly and  use  it  wisely  it  is  a  proper  and  laudable 
ambition,  and  I  hope  you  may  get  $100,000,000. 
But,  if  you  propose  to  get  your  money  by  dishonest 
and  rascally  methods,  I  hope  you  may  spend  your 
days  in  the  alms-house,  rather.  You  see  I  am  your 
124 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


friend  and  well-wisher;  for  money  dishonestly  got- 
ten will  always  prove  a  curse  to  the  man  who  gets 
it  thus,  and  his  children  after  him.  In  these  days 
of  intense  commercial  activity,  and  mad  rush  after 
wealth,  with  the  almost  innumerable  grab-bag,  get- 
rich-quick  schemes  that  are  constantly  making  se- 
ductive appeals  to  the  young  man  ambitious  to  be 
rich,  one  needs  to  be  cautious  and  careful,  or  he  will 
soon  find  himself  violating  the  Golden  Rule.  But  if 
you  have  resolved  to  be  rich  even  if  it  is  at  the  ex- 
pense of  honor  and  conscience,  go  ahead  and  do  as 
}ou  please,  God  will  not  compel  you  to  do  otherwise ; 
but  there  will  be  judgment  for  you,  here  and  here- 
after.   Never  forget  it. 

2.  Some  one  of  you  may  have  set  his  heart  on 
having  what  he  calls  a  good  time.  It  is  a  queer 
notion  some  men  have  of  what  is  a  good  time.  I 
have  known  a  young  man  to  riot  around  town  all 
night,  full  of  whiskey  and  the  devil,  squandering 
his  hard  earned  money,  ruining  his  physical  and 
intellectual  health,  his  reputation  and  character, 
breaking  his  mother's  heart  and  getting  his  head 
broken  and  pretty  generally  done  for,  and  call  that 
having  a  good  time.  You  are  at  liberty  to  pursue 
such  a  course ;  and  if  you  have  resolved  upon  it  God 
will  not  interfere;  but  there  will  be  judgment  for 
you  here  and  hereafter.    Never  forget  it. 

What  is  the  sight  of  your  eyes? 

I.  God's  Word  says  "Look  not  thou  upon  the 
wine  when  it  is  red,  when  it  giveth  its  color  in  the 
cup,  when  it  goeth  down  smoothly ;  at  last  it  biteth 
like  a  serpent,  and  stingeth  like  an  adder." 

125 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


One  cannot  buy  a  glass  of  honestly  distilled  whis- 
key in  the  United  States.  When  I  was  a  boy  the 
man  who  kept  the  country  store  usually  kept  a  little 
brown  jug  under  his  counter,  in  which  he  kept  what 
he  called  "O  be  joyful."  He  distilled  it  himself 
from  rye  and  corn.  If  a  man  purchased  more  than 
a  dollar's  worth  of  goods,  he  was  invited  to  take  a 
drink.  If  he  took  more  than  he  could  well  carry 
it  made  him  foolish  and  silly.  But  men  in  their 
hurry  to  be  rich  found  they  could  make  whiskey 
easier  and  cheaper  by  the  aid  of  drugs.  If  a  man 
gets  more  of  the  kind  they  now  make  than  he  can 
carry,  he  becomes  a  fiend  incarnate  and  wants  to 
kill  somebody.  This  is  the  explanation  for  the 
alarming  increase  of  crime  in  the  country, — it  is  the 
poison  in  the  whiskey.  There  never  was  a  case  of 
hog-cholera  in  the  country  until  they  began  using 
drugs  in  whiskey  making.  The  poison  gets  into 
the  mash ;  it  is  fed  to  the  hogs  and  they  get  the  chol- 
era. If  you,  gentlemen,  think  you  can  put  into  your 
stomachs  with  safety  to  yourselves,  that  which  will 
give  the  cholera  to  hogs,  of  course  you  are  at  lib- 
erty to  do  so,  but  if  you  do,  I  think  you  are  not  very 
bright  and  wise. 

But  the  people  are  more  largely  given  to  beer 
drinking.  I  also  believe  you  can  not  buy  one  glass 
of  honestly  made,  malt,  hop-brewed  beer  in  the 
United  States.  Here  are  sufficient  reasons  for  so 
thinking:  First,  there  are  not  enough  hops  raised 
in  the  United  States  to  make  the  beer  that  is  drank 
in  New  York  City  alone.  We  are  exporting  almost 
as  many  hops  as  we  are  importing.  Second,  from 
126 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


indisputable  evidence  in  my  possession,  I  know  that 
while  the  output  of  beer  is  rapidly  increasing  the  use 
of  malt  is  quite  as  rapidly  decreasing.  Third,  the 
brewer,  the  jobber  and  the  saloon  keeper  all  get 
rich  fast,  and  the  beer  is  sold  at  a  nickel  a  schooner. 
I  know  as  well  as  I  can  know  anything  that  not 
one  man  can  get  rich  selling  beer  at  that  price,  if 
it  is  made  out  of  hops  and  malt,  honestly.  No,  what 
is  called  lager-beer  is  nothing  but  slop.  Now  then, 
gentlemen,  if  you  wish  to  make  slop-pails  of  your 
stomachs,  you  are  at  liberty  to  do  so.  But  in  view 
of  the  fact  that  the  stomach  is  the  work-shop  of  the 
body,  and  the  center  of  the  nervous  organism,  I  sub- 
mit that  it  will  be  to  your  advantage  not  to  misuse 
it  after  this  fashion. 

It  is  said  that  quite  100,000  persons  die  of  alco- 
hol every  year  in  the  United  States.  If  this  is  ap- 
proximately true,  what  a  blighting  and  withering 
curse  it  is !  Surely  "it  biteth  like  a  serpent  and 
stingeth  like  an  adder."  But  I  am  inclined  to  think 
that  far  more  than  this  great  number  fall  victims  to 
this  damnable  and  damning  traffic.  There  are  two 
distinctive  temperaments  among  men,  /.  e.,  the  san- 
guine and  the  lymphatic.  Alcohol  never  digests 
or  assimilates.  No  matter  in  what  form  it  is  taken 
into  the  stomach,  it  passes  through  the  chyme  and 
the  chyle  into  the  blood.  In  the  case  of  the  man  of 
the  sanguine  temperament,  it  goes  to  his  head,  and 
becoming  thereby  top-heavy,  he  reels  wdien  he  tries 
to  walk,  and  clucks  like  an  old  hen  when  he  attempts 
to  talk.  When  this  man  dies,  it  is  known  of  what  he 
died,  because  he  could  not  conceal  it.  But  in  the  case 
127 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


of  the  man  of  a  lymphatic  temperament  it  is  other- 
wise. When  the  alcohol  gets  into  his  blood  it  goes  to 
the  liver.  He's  the  man  of  whom  it  is  said  "He  car- 
ries his  whiskey."  This  is  so  because  the  liver  is 
"midship"  as  sailors  say.  He  can  drink  all  day  and 
walk  a  chalk  line  home.  But  he  drops  off  suddenly, 
and  they  say  it  was  heart-failure  or  apoplexy.  INIost 
of  the  people  who  know  him  believe  this,  because 
they  never  saw  him  drinking  or  drunk.  But  if  you 
will  cut  him  open  and  uncover  his  liver,  it  will  appear 
like  the  bottom  of  an  iron-monger's  shoe ;  he  has 
died  of  what  the  physicians  call  "Hob-nail  liver" — 
alcohol  on  the  liver.  Now  then,  gentlemen,  you  can 
squander  your  money  for  drink,  disgrace  yourselves, 
superinduce  premature  physical  and  mental  decay, 
go  down  to  an  untimely  and  dishonored  grave,  and 
to  a  drunkard's  Hell  if  you  so  wish  it ;  but  surely 
such  a  course  is  unwise  and  wicked.  Remember 
there  will  be  a  judgment  here  and  hereafter.  Never 
forget  it. 

2.  Job  said,  "I  made  a  covenant  with  mine  eyes; 
*  *  *  pQj.  it  js  a  f^i-g  ti^gi^  consumeth  unto  des- 
truction, and  would  root  out  all  mine  increase." 

The  eye  is  the  doorway  to  the  seat  of  the  pas- 
sions. If,  like  Job,  we  covenant  not  to  look  upon 
anything  that  suggests  an  unclean  or  evil  thought, 
our  lives  and  minds  will  be  pure  and  beautiful.  If 
we  give  license  to  our  eyes,  our  thoughts  and  lives 
will  be  impure,  vulgar  and  lewd.  For,  if  our  pas- 
sions arc  aroused  they  are  easily  enticed  by  Satan 
into  sin.  Licentiousness  "is  a  fire  that  will  consume 
unto  destruction."  I  knew  a  young  man  who.  when 
128 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


he  reached  his  majority,  had  $50,cx)0  in  the  bank 
subject  to  his  check,  and  real  estate  worth  as  much 
more.  He  did  not  "make  a  covenant  with  his  eyes.' 
His  passions  were  aroused  and  he  went  to  the  house 
of  her  whose  "steps  take  hold  on  Hell."  In  less  than 
five  years  his  money  and  property  were  gone  and 
he  was  a  physical  wreck,  I  knew  another  young 
man  who  did  not  "make  a  covenant  with  his  eyes." 
He  was  lead  into  secret  sin.  He  was  an  alumnus 
of  a  prominent  University.  He  had  begun  the  prac- 
tice of  law.  One  day  in  his  office  he  put  a  pistol  to 
his  head  and  fired.  The  bullet  did  not  penetrate  his 
head,  but  circled  it  under  the  scalp.  He  told  the 
physician  who  was  summoned,  of  hfs  sinful  practices 
and  said  "They  have  become  so  loathsome  to  me 
that  I  do  not  want  to  live  longer."  This  is  the  story 
of  one-half  the  suicides  committed,  as  it  is  likewise 
an  explanation  for  three-fourths  of  the  idiocy  and 
imbecility  in  the  world  to-day.  It  truly  "is  a  fire  that 
consumeth  unto  destruction."  But  not  only  this  but 
it  also  "would  root  out  all  mine  increase."  God's 
law  declares  that  He  visits  "the  iniquities  of  the 
fathers  upon  the  children,  upon  the  third  and  upon 
the  fourth  generations  of  them  that  hate  me."  This 
is  physiologically  demonstrable.  The  descendants  of 
a  man  who  has  indulged  in  licentious  practices  deter- 
iorate until  the  "third  or  fourth  generations,"  which 
will  be  found  to  be  sterile.  There  will  be  no  fifth 
generation  for  such  a  man.  This  is  the  story  of  the 
nations  of  antiquity.  Brush  back  the  dust  of  cen- 
turies and  read.  When  they  were  virtuous  they  in- 
creased in  numbers,  in  strength  and  possessions. 
I  129 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


When  they  became  great  they  became  sensual  and 
then  began  to  decline  in  physical  and  mental  energy, 
until  they  reached  a  point  where  they  were  unable  to 
successfully  resist  the  encroachments  and  onslaughts 
of  their  ruder  and  more  virtuous  neighbors ;  and 
they  ceased  to  be.  Gentlemen,  you  had  far  better 
trifle  with  a  wire  with  50,000  voltage  upon  it,  than 
to  fall  into  licentious  practices.  "It  is  a  fire  that 
consumeth  unto  destruction,  and  would  root  out  all 
my  increase."  But  you  are  at  liberty  to  do  as  you 
please.  You  can  drop  the  reins  on  the  neck  of  your 
lust  and  ride  like  Jehu  Hellward ;  God  will  not  com- 
pel you  to  be  virtuous;  but  if  you  are  so  unwise, 
remember,  there  will  be  judgment  here  and  here- 
after.    Never  forget  it. 

Let  us  now  turn  this  around  and  consider  the  mat- 
ter under  discussion  from  another  point  of  view. 

First.  You  are  ambitious  to  be  rich.  You  re- 
member that  I  wished  you  well,  if  you  intended  to 
get  your  money  honestly  and  use  it  wisely.  But  do 
not  forget  there  are  some  things  worth  infinitely 
more  than  all  sordid  wealth ;  do  not  barter  these  for 
gold.  For  instance,  "A  little  that  a  righteous  man 
hath  is  better  than  the  riches  of  many  wicked." 
(Psa.  37:  16.)  "A  conscience  void  of  oflPense  to- 
ward God  and  toward  men"  (Acts  24:  16)  is  of 
priceless  value.  Able  to  look  God-ward  and  know 
you  are  obeying  His  holy  laws,  and  any  man  in  the 
face  and  able  to  truthfully  say,  "I  have  done  by  you 
as  I  would  be  done  by," — this  is  worth  more  to  a  man 
than  all  earthly  possessions. 

Again — "A  good  name  is  rather  to  be  chosen  than 
130 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


great  riches,  and  loving  favor  than  silver  and  gold." 
(Prov.  22:  I.)  When  my  father  died  he  left  me 
never  a  penny  nor  a  foot  of  land ;  but  he  left  mc 
that  which  has  been  worth  more  to  me  than  all 
money  and  property,  viz. ;  the  heritage  of  a  clean, 
manly,  honorable.  Christian  name  and  life.  I  have 
never  seen  the  time  nor  place  I  was  ashamed  to 
acknowledge  that  David  Munhall  was  my  father. 
Be  careful  of  your  good  name.  It  is  of  priceless 
worth. 

Also — Jesus  said:  "But  lay  up  for  yourselves 
treasures  in  Heaven,"  etc.  (Matt.  6:  20).  My 
brother,  if  you  live  to  be  eighty  years  old  and  then 
die,  you  will  have  lived  only  29,220  days,  or  701,280 
hours.  So  the  longest  life  is  very  brief.  I  submit, 
gentlemen,  that  it  is  every  way  better  to  live  these 
days  of  our  earthly  sojourn  in  poverty,  with  a  con- 
science void  of  offense  toward  God  and  toward 
men,  preserving  unsullied  our  good  name,  and 
then  for  all  Eternity  enjoy  the  inexhaustible  riches 
and  unfading  glories  of  the  heavenly  life,  than 
at  the  sacrifice  of  conscience  and  a  good  name 
become  a  millionaire  many  times  over,  and  then  be 
banished  from  the  presence  of  the  Holy  One  into 
outer  darkness  where  "there  shall  be  w^eeping  and 
gnashing  of  teeth." 

Second.  Mere  earthly  pleasures  are  necessarily 
unsatisfying.  They  may,  for  the  time,  seem  to  sat- 
isfy ;  but,  too  often,  alas !  indulgence  in  them  is  fol- 
lowed by  regret  and  heartache.  But  w^hen  a  man  is 
reconciled  to  God,  and  has  His  presence  to  go  with 
him,  His  unfailing  blessing  to  rest  upon  him,  then  he 

131 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


can  understand  what  the  Psahiiist  meant  when  he 
said  "How  excellent  is  thy  loving  kindness,  O  God ! 
therefore  the  children  of  men  put  their  trust  under 
the  shadow  of  thy  wings.  They  shall  be  abun- 
dantly satisfied  with  the  fatness  of  thy  house ;  and 
thou  shalt  make  them  drink  of  the  river  of  thy  pleas- 
ures." As  the  rivers  pour  their  floods  ceaselessly  to 
the  sea,  so  the  pleasures  God  will  give  to  the  obe- 
dient soul,  shall  be  all  satisfying  and  constant.  ''The 
blessing  of  the  Lord,  it  maketh  rich ;  and  he  addeth 
no  sorrow  with  it."  (Prov.  10:22.)  At  the  last 
earthly  pleasures  can  have  nothing  to  offer  us  that 
we  desire  or  need.  But  to  those  who  love  and  obey 
God  there  are  the  all-satisfying  pleasures  here,  and 
concerning  the  other  life  we  know  in  God's  "pres- 
ence is  fullness  of  joy ;  at  thy  right  hand  there  are 
pleasures  for  evermore."     (Psa.  16:  11.) 

Third.  The  Psalmist  prayed  "Open  thou  mine 
eyes,  that  I  may  behold  wondrous  things  out  of  thy 
law."  The  Apostle  Paul  gave  expression  to  the 
same  thought  when  he  prayed  "That  the  God  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  Father  of  Glory,  may  give 
unto  you  the  spirit  of  wisdom  and  revelation  in  the 
knowledge  of  him ;  the  eyes  of  your  understanding 
being  enlightened  that  ye  may  know  what  is  the 
hope  of  his  calling,  and  what  the  riches  of  the  glory 
of  his  inheritance  in  the  saints,"  etc.  (Eph. 
1 :  17-23.) 

Our  sins  have  separated  and  estranged  us  from 

God.     God  has  "made  peace  through  the  blood  of 

his    Cross,    by    him    to    reconcile    all    things    unto 

himself."     But  our  "repentance  toward  God  and 

132 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


faith  toward  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ"  are  reckoned  as 
certain  elements  in  the  procuring  cause  of  our 
reconciliation  and  salvation  as  the  atoning  work  ac- 
complished by  the  Son  of  God  upon  Golgotha's 
Cross.  If,  therefore,  gentlemen,  you  will  repent 
and  believe  you  will  "have  peace  with  God  through 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ"  and  may,  while  living  here, 
enjoy  unhindered  fellowship  with  God,  the  Father 
Almighty,  and  then  dwell  with  Him  forever  amid 
the  ineffable  delights  of  the  Heavenlies. 

Young  gentlemen,  as  I  look  into  your  faces  know- 
ing what  are  the  temptations  that  beset  you,  and  the 
problems  of  life  and  the  tremendous  issues  in- 
volved, I  say,  you  need  God  on  your  side  in  order 
that  life  may  be  pure,  noble  and  heroic ;  that  it  may 
be  a  success;  that  it  may  be  worth  living;  to  say 
nothing  of  the  hereafter.  I  therefore,  by  the  sub- 
limest  considerations  man  can  possibly  consider,  ex- 
hort you  to  now  open  your  minds,  hearts  and  lives 
to  the  truth  as  it  is  in  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  get 
right  with  God. 

Dr.  Munhall  always  concludes  this  discourse  by 
relating  the  story  of  his  conversion,  and  telling  of 
some  of  his  subsequent  experiences. 


133 


CHAPTER    THIRTEENTH. 


THE  WHITE  LIFE.* 

The  Rev.  W.  E.  Biederwolf  is  one  of  the  most 
successful  evangeHsts  of.  the  present  day.  If  one 
feature  of  his  work  should  be 
more  emphasized  than  another 
it  is  his  ability  to  influence  men. 
This  chapter  is  an  abridgement 
of  his  sermon  on  the  "White 
Life."  God  has  used  it  to  turn 
the  attention  of  thousands  unto 
Himself  in  many  cities  and 
towns  where  it  has  been  deliv- 
ered. As  a  result  of  it  hun- 
dreds have  accepted  Jesus 
Christ  as  a  Savior. 


"Wherewithal  shall  a  young  man  cleanse  his 
way  ?" — Psalm  3  :  9. 

Scripture — 2  Sam.  18. 

David  is  king  of  Israel  and  Absalom  his  own  boy 
is  arch-conspirator  against  the  throne.  David  has 
fled  from  Jerusalem  and  gone  to  a  city  beyond 
the    Jordan,  while    close  at  hand  in  the    forest  of 


•Tliis  address  ("White  Life  No.  2")  is  not  the  "White  Life"  as 
published  in  booklet  form,  which  is  wholly  a  personal  purity  talk; 
the  two  serve  different  purposes. 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


Ephraim  a  hard-fought  battle  is  in  progress,  and 
at  the  head  of  Israel's  army  is  the  king's  own  son. 
Great  issues  are  involved ;  the  throne  of  David  and 
his  life  as  well  are  at  stake.  The  king  is  at  the  gate 
of  the  city  while  the  watchman  has  mounted  the 
wall  to  look  for  coming  news  of  the  battle.  As 
he  looks  he  sees  two  men  running  alone ;  he  has 
no  sooner  told  the  king  below  than  the  men  arrive 
in  breathless  haste  with  tidings  from  the  field.  The 
fortunes  of  the  day  have  been  with  David's  troops. 
The  enemy  has  suffered  defeat,  the  rebellion  has 
been  crushed,  and  its  leader,  with  three  arrows 
tiirough  his  heart,  is  hanging  by  his  hair  among  the 
boughs  of  an  oak.  But  while  the  returning  troops 
are  shouting  their  songs  of  triumph,  the  king, 
broken-hearted,  goes  up  to  the  chamber 'over  the 
gate  to  weep,  and  as  he  goes  thus  he  says:  "O, 
my  son,  Absalom,  my  son,  my  son  Absalom! 
Would  God  I  had  died  for  thee,  O  Absalom,  my 
son,  my  son !" 

David  was  weeping  over  a  wasted  life.  What 
splendid  opportunities  this  young  man  did  have  for 
a  bright  and  honorable  career !  He  had  had  all 
that  any  young  man  could  have.  Fortune  had 
smiled  upon  him  and  laid  at  his  feet  all  the  wealth, 
the  culture  and  knowledge  of  an  oriental  mon- 
archy. What  prospects  for  the  years  to  come,  but 
what  a  miserable  failure  he  made  of  it  all !  And 
he's  not  the  only  young  man  of  whom  I  know  or 
you  know  who  has  had  opportunities  just  as  good 
as  his,  but  whose  sun  has  gone  down  at  high  noon 


135 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


and  whose  life  has  been  wrecked  just  as  sadly  as 
this  one  of  which  we  speak. 

Absalom's  career  might  briefly  be  summed  up  by 
saying:  "He  was  a  fast  young  man."  He  was 
rich.  It  might  have  been  better  for  him  if  he  had 
been  poor.  If  wealth  is  the  gift  of  fortune,  then 
the  smile  of  fortune  often  makes  a  man  unfortunate. 
You  may  not  have  to  work  for  your  living,  but  you 
do  have  to  work  for  your  character,  and  the  man 
who  has  his  living  made  for  him  has  a  pretty  hard 
row  to  hoe  if  out  of  the  God-given  material  of  his 
own  self  he  carves  and  chisels  a  character  that  shall 
stand  the  test  both  of  time  and  of  eternity.  Money 
is  all  right  if  honestly  acquired.  Get  all  you  can, 
but  don't  can  all  you  get.  Use  it  for  God  and 
your  family  and  it  will  bring  a  blessing  into  your 
life,  but  remember  that  great  wealth  has  kept  more 
young  men  away  from  a  pure  life  than  ever  has 
the  want  of  it. 

Great  wealth  led  Absalom,  as  it  does  so  many 
young  men  today,  into  high  life,  and  high  life  led 
him,  as  it  does  so  many  young  men  to-day,  into  a 
fast  life,  and  fast  life  is  invariably  the  macadamized 
road  to  hell.  Young  men,  let  your  ambition  rise 
higher  than  to  be  a  mere  pet  in  society.  Life  is  a 
battle,  a  real  stern  conflict,  and  a  good  many  of  us 
have  already  found  it  out,  and  it's  not  going  to  be 
fought  with  quaker  guns  and  toy  pistols,  and  there 
isn't  any  room  for  the  feather-brained  dude,  the 
young  man  with  more  collar  than  culture. 


136 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


"The  young  man  who  would 
Be  a  woman  if  he  could ; 
But  since  he  can't  does  all  he  can 
To  show  the  world  he's  not  a  man." 

And  the  young  man  who  finds  his  chief  dehght 
in  the  wine  room  and  the  bilHard  room  and  the 
cheap  theatre  will  find  himself  enervated  for  the 
struggle  and  defeated  in  the  contest. 

Now,  if  we  had  time,  we  might  easily  see  that 
Absalom  was  guilty  of  all  the  sins  peculiar  to  his 
time  and  long  years  after  this  scene  occurred  his  old 
white-haired  and  broken-hearted  father  took  up  his 
pen  and  wrote  these  words:  "Wherewithal  shall 
a  young  man  cleanse  his  way?"  Now  David  knew 
what  he  was  writing  about  from  bitter  experience; 
and  if  there  is  one  man  in  this  audience  or  in  all 
this  city  whose  life  can't  be  made  a  little  whiter 
and  a  little  cleaner  and  a  little  more  Christlike  by 
the  grace  of  God,  he's  not  like  the  rest  of  us  poor 
fellows.  God  help  us !  and  God  help  him  too,  for 
I  verily  believe  that  no  man's  life  is  so  unclean  as 
he  who  with  brazen  face  will  boast  that  he  needs 
no  cleansing  whatsoever.  God  give  us  honest 
hearts  just  now. 

SABBATH  DESECRATION. 

What  about  Sabbath  desecration?  The  former 
holy  hush  of  God's  best  day  has  given  way  to  the 
rabble  rush  for  pleasure  and  the  greed  for  gold. 
If  a  man  had  given  you  six  dollars,  it  would  be 
pretty  mean  to  steal  his  seventh  and  last  one, 
wouldn't  it  ?    And  it  seems  to  me  the  same  principle 

137 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


ought  to  keep  a  man  from  using  God's  seventh  and 
sacred  day  in  a  way  to  please  himself  when  God 
has  already  given  him  six  days  in  which  to  attend 
to  the  business  and  pleasures  of  this  world.  It 
may  be  there  are  some  here  who  have  already 
desecrated  this  day,  and  I  want  to  ask  you,  if  God 
lets  you  live  to  see  the  light  of  another  Sabbath, 
that  you  will  spend  its  sacred  hours  so  that  at  the 
going  down  of  its  sun  you  can  say,  I  have  lived 
this  day  just  as  I  would  have  lived  it  had  I  known 
I  was  to  meet  my  God  at  its  close. 

PROFANITY. 

What  about  the  sin  of  profanity — this  high  crime 
of  taking  the  name  of  God  in  vain  with  almost 
every  sentence  that  some  men  utter?  I  wonder 
if  there's  anybody  here  that  needs  to  have  his  way 
cleansed  from  a  thing  like  that?  I  sometimes  feel 
a  sense  of  pity  for  the  victim  of' certain  habits,  but 
there's  no  sin  that's  so  absolutely  senseless  and  so 
little  to  be  excused  as  this  habitual  scorching  the 
lips  with  the  name  of  the  most  holy  God  in  pro- 
fanity. The  man  who  does  it  without  effort  or 
desire  to  cease  from  it  is  low-grained  in  his  fiber 
and  altogether  unworthy  of  being  recognized  as  a 
gentleman.  You're  not  having  any  trouble  to  un- 
derstand me,  are  you?  It's  a  sad  commentary  on 
men  when  a  mother  can't  send  her  child  down  the 
street  on  an  errand  unless  he  has  his  little  heart 
sowed  full  of  the  seeds  of  profanity  before  he  gets 
back.  I  heard  a  father  the  other  day  utter  a  most 
damnable  oath  before  his  little  seven-year-old  boy. 

138 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


Man,  you'd  better  be  dead  and  in  your  grave  than 
to  be  living-  with  those  given  to  you  by  God  and  be 
guilty  of  a  thing  like  that. 

INTEMPERANCE. 

What  about  the  sin  of  intemperance;  this  awful 
vice  that  holds  in  its  clutch  250,000  of  the  once 
fairest  of  our  land,  and  sends  70,000  of  them  every 
year  down  into  a  drunkard's  grave?  I  read  the 
other  day  that  the  beer  drank  in  this  country  every 
year  would  fill  a  canal  forty  feet  wide  and  fourteen 
feet  deep  and  twenty  miles  long.  I  know  a  lot  of 
fellows  who'd  like  to  swim  in  a  canal  like  that. 
It  is  told  of  Jonah  in  the  Bible  that  he  ran  away 
from  God  and  entering  a  ship  to  go  down  to 
Tarshish  he  paid  the  fare  thereof,  i  don't  know 
what  he  paid ;  he  was  a  prophet  and  may  be  he 
traveled  on  half  rates,  but  anyhow  the  distance  was 
short  and  it  only  cost  him  a  trifle  for  his  passage, 
but  you  know  that  he  paid  pretty  dearly  for  that 
trip  before  he  got  through  with  it.  And  so  many 
a  young  man  has  taken  his  first  glass  of  intoxicating 
liquor  and  paid  the  price  thereof,  or  had  some  other 
fellow  pay  it  for  him ;  only  a  few  cents,  five  or 
maybe  ten,  but  if  he  could  have  looked  down  the 
pathway  of  time  for  twenty  years  and  seen  the 
awful  cost  of  that  first  glass  he  would  have  shrunk 
from  it  as  from  a  viper  in  his  path. 

GAM  BUNG. 

What  about  gambling?  I  wonder  if  there  is  any 
need  of  a  cleansing  in  this  place  from  a  thing  like 

139 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


that?  No  doubt  there  is,  and  a  great  need  of  it 
too,  unless  this  place  differs  from  most  others  where 
I  am  privileged  to  speak  in  these  days ;  and  some 
of  those  engaging  in  it  can  ill  afford  to  spare  the 
few  dollars  that  ought  to  go  to  cheer  and  brighten 
the  homes  and  the  hearts  of  the  wives  and  little  ones, 
I  think  a  gambler  is  about  the  meanest,  lowest,  most 
disreputable  thing  that  passes  for  a  man  of  any- 
thing that  breathes  under  the  sun.  The  man  who 
vvith  a  black  heart  under  a  white  shirt  front  will 
take  another  man's  money  on  the  plea  that  he  ran 
a  chance  of  losing  his  own — with  every  cent  he 
wins  and  with  every  penny  he  loses  his  infernal 
passion  is  fanned  into  a  fiercer  flame  until  he  will 
sacrifice  on  the  altar  of  his  lust,  his  money,  his 
honor,  his  home,  his  love,  and  what  were  once  his 
loved  ones,  and  then  will  rattle  his  dice  and  shuffle 
his  cards  on  the  coffin  of  his  victims  and  pocket  the 
blood  red  gold  of  his  murdered  kindred.  Judas 
was  a  gambler,  and  he  sold  his  Christ  for  thirty 
pieces  of  silver,  and  I  read  in  the  Bible  that  they 
took  the  money  and  bought  a  graveyard  with  it, 
and  called  it  in  the  Syriac  language  Aceldema, 
which  means  "The  Field  of  Blood."  And  this  after- 
noon, over  every  race  course,  over  every  faro  table 
and  gambling  device ;  over  every  church  fair  or 
anywhere  where  a  man  or  woman  wins  or  loses 
what  otherwise  would  not  be  theirs,  simply  because 
they  have  taken  a  risk  and  chanced  to  hold  the  lucky 
number,  I  would  write  the  words  "Blood  Money," 
and  brand  everyone  thus  engaged  as  a  dishonest 
man  or  a  dishonest  woman. 


140 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


IMPURE   IMAGINATION. 

What  about  the  sins  of  the  imagination?  Oh, 
these  imaginations  of  ours,  how  often  they  are  un- 
holy; this  fairy  land,  the  enchanted  ground,  the 
place  of  odorous  flowers  and  rosy  clouds  and  balmy 
breezes  where  all  unseen  and  undiscovered  this 
subtle  power  creates  unholy  scenes  of  lust  and 
dream  those  ravishing,  venturesome  dreams,  and 
entertaining  the  bewitching  thought  rolls  it  over 
and  over  in  the  mind  like  a  sweet  morsel  under 
the  tongue  until  the  deed  has  been  dotle  and  the 
sin  committed  a  thousand  times  over  in  the  heart 
although  restraint  may  be  practiced  in  the  outer  life. 
An  impure  imagination  can  pierce  through  any- 
thing to  see  a  forbidden  object;  it  can  lend  beauty 
to  beastliness  and  transform  a  loathsome  vice  into 
a  bewitching  charm,  and  once  let  an  impure  im- 
agination be  thus  brought  into  play  and  it  will  set 
the  whole  of  a  man's  sensual  nature  on  fire  with 
Hell.  There  is  not  one  fallen  man  or  fallen  woman 
— and  notice  I  speak  of  a  fallen  man  just  as  I  do 
of  a  fallen  woman ;  God  only  knows  which  one  has 
fallen  the  lowest,  but  I  utterly  loathe  this  sentiment 
that  would  stone  the  woman  and  let  the  man  go 
free,  that  would  trod  the  victim  of  his  lust  down 
in  the  mire  and  let  the  man  wipe  his  lips  and  step 
back  into  decent  society — ^but  I  say  you  will  not  find 
one  such  man  or  woman  whose  fall  did  not  lie 
tlirough  a  polluting  preparatory  process  in  which 
the    imagination    was    indulged    in    the    forbidden 


141 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


sweets  of  sin.    "Think  well  and  do  well  will  follow 
thought." 

UNHOLY  CONVERSATION. 

What  about  these  lips  of  ours  and  the  sin  of  un- 
holy conversation?  In  the  presence  of  a  depraved 
prostitute  you  can  hear  words  that  would  disgrace 
the  foulest  denizen  of  the  lowest  pit  of  Hell,  but 
how  men  of  fairly  decent  type  can  scorch  their  lips 
with  the  selfsame  stuflf  is  enough  to  make  a  pure 
man  sick  in  his  heart.  A  private  in  the  army  said  to 
me:  "Chaplain,  what  shall  I  do?  The  last  thing  I 
hear  at  night  in  our  tent  and  the  first  thing  in  the 
morning  is  nothing  but  the  foulest  smut  and  inde- 
cency", and  my  own  ears  were  compelled  to  listen  to 
literal  battles  of  language  to  see  who  could  put  the 
filthiest  things  in  the  dirtiest  dress.  And  the  young 
Cuban  lads  that  hung  around  the  lines  of  the  regi- 
ments, picking  up  a  few  words  of  Americano,  that  is 
supposed  to  stand  for  the  best  and  most  exalted  that 
civilization  can  show,  the  very  first  words  they  were 
taught  were  those  expressive  of  the  dirtiest  and 
foulest  things  that  a  rotten  heart  could  imagine. 
Father,  if  you  have  a  pure-hearted  boy  you  might 
better  with  thanksgiving  see  him  go  down  to  his 
grave  than  to  see  him  forming  associations  with 
such  fetid  vultures  of  moral  disease,  and  better  go 
there  yourself  than  to  live  and  be  uttering  such  cor- 
ruption in  his  presence.  If  I  had  a  boy  I'd  rather 
see  him  living  in  the  slimy  air  of  some  foul  dungeon 
with  lizards  and  scorpions  and  venomous  toads,  if 
his  heart  were  pure,  than  to  have  him  dwell  with 
142 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


men  who  deem  a  little  smut  and  indecent  stories 
things  to  laugh  at,  and  then  to  see  in  the  end  a 
whole  nest  of  hissing  vipers  wriggling  in  his  heart. 
Foul  language  spreads  contagion  worse  than  small- 
pox, and  it  can't  be  quarantined,  but  goes  from  lip 
to  lip  and  heart  to  heart  with  its  withering,  damn- 
ing curse ;  like  a  slimy  serpent  it  winds  its  venom- 
ous coils  about  holy  manhood  and  pure  womanhood, 
and  drags  them  through  sensual  mire  down  to  Hell, 
Where  is  the  man  who  will  take  upon  himself  the 
vow  of  a  white  life?  Let  him  begin  with  a  white 
tongue. 

UNHOLY    ACTION. 

And  now  one  step  farther.  What  about  the  sins 
of  unholy  action?  Do  any  of  us  need  to  have  our 
way  cleansed  from  that?  Young  men,  boys,  may 
I  say  a  word  to  you  as  an  elder  brother?  There 
is  a  sin  that  is  blighting  our  young  manhood  in 
its  early  morning  and  reliable  physicians  who  are 
in  a  position  to  know  say  it  is  well-nigh  universal. 
Let  me  ask  you  to  be  warned  and  to  shrink  from  it 
as  you  would  from  a  viper  in  your  path,  for  it  will 
sting  you  to  death. 

"keep  thyself  pure." 

And  now  but  one  thing  more,  and  I  refer  to  the 
human  scoundrelism  that  looks  upon  a  woman  as  the 
legitimate  prey  of  a  man's  beastly  passions  and  pol- 
luted appetites ;  the  blackheartedness  that  sacrifices 
the  pearl  of  a  woman's  chastity  to  swinish  lust ;  the 
foul  seducer  of  virtue  who,  under  the  promise  of 

143 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


speedy  marriage,  will  take  advantage  of  that  which 
is  best  in  a  woman — her  love — and  then  fling  her 
aside  and  let  her  lie  scorned  and  unhelped  in  her 
shame.  When  Paul  wrote  to  Timothy,  he  said : 
"Keep  thyself  pure,"  and  the  doctrine  that  impurity 
is  a  necessity  is  a  damnable  fallacy.  If  there  is  a 
man  in  your  city  who  calls  himself  a  doctor  and 
will  tell  your  young  men  that  such  a  thing  is  a 
health  essential,  he  isn't  fit  to  go  into  a  decent  home 
in  your  town ;  and  if  there  is  such  a  one  here  now, 
who  would  dare  to  say  a  thing  like  that,  let  him 
stand  up  and  sa}'  it  now ;  and  before  God  and  man 
you  are  a  liar !  God  would  never  have  said,  "Thou 
shalt  not,"  if  it  were  necessary  to  do  so,  and  all 
reason  and  best  medical  authority  declare  it  to  be 
a  chief  source  of  physical  debility.  He  who  is  not 
pure  is  not  a  man,  and  out  of  respect  to  animals  we 
must  not  call  him  a  brute.  I  am  not  speaking  of 
the  man  who  is  falling  short,  about  the  man  who 
is  making  an  honest  fight  against  the  unholy  pas- 
sions of  his  life,  but  about  the  thing  that  passes 
for  a  man  and  has  given  himself  up  to  that  which 
is  vile  and  unclean,  and  will  even  gloat  over  his 
work  when  it  is  done.  Is  there  anything  white 
about  a  man  who  will  enter  a  home  and  with  all 
his  gentility  and  palavering  smoothness  win  the 
esteem  of  the  parents  and  the  confidence  of  the 
daughter  and  blast  it  by  his  infernal  rapacious  lust? 
Is  there  anything  white  about  a  brother  who  ex- 
pects his  sister  to  be  purer  than  himself?  Is  there 
anything  white  about  a  man  who  expects  his  wife 
to  be  pure  and  is  not  pure  himself?  Sam  Jones 
144 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


said  it,  and  it  is  true,  "If  there  is  any  place  in  Hell 
deeper  and  darker  than  another  it  ought  to  be  for 
that  man  who  will  go  home  at  night  from  a  house 
of  shame  and  pillow  his  dirty  old  head  by  the  side 
of  his  sweet,  virtuous  wife."  And  I  call  upon  you 
'to  enter  into  a  crusade  against  the  foul-mouthed 
man,  to  boycott  the  impure  boaster  and  the  betrayer 
of  innocence  until  the  blush  ot  shame  can  never 
come  to  the  face  of  your  daughter  or  your  sister 
because  society  tolerates  such  men  to  move  within 
its  circle. 

Two  things  ought  to  be  said  just  here:  All  these 
things  increase  just  like  the  weeds  in  a  garden,  un- 
less they  are  rooted  out.  Out  in  California  where 
they  drive  the  stages  down  the  steep  mountain  sides, 
it  is  necessary  to  put  the  brake  on  hard  lest  the 
coach  plunge  down  upon  the  haunches  of  the  horses. 
There  was  some  time  ago  a  very  godless  driver  who 
had  been  for  forty  years  on  a  certain  route.  He 
was  a  vile,  profane  man,  who  often  boasted  that  he 
feared  neither  God,  man  nor  the  devil.  At  last  he 
was  on  his  deathbed,  and  as  he  lay  there  his  friends 
noticed  him  kicking  out  with  his  right  foot  as  if  he 
were  reaching  for  something.  They  thought  it  too 
warm  and  took  off  most  of  the  covers,  but  still  he 
continued  to  reach  out  with  his  right  foot.  They 
spoke  to  him  but  received  no  response.  At  last  his 
old  chum,  Joe,  came  and  said:  "Bill,  what's  the 
matter?  Isn't  there  something  I  can  do  for  you?" 
And,  looking  up  into  Joe's  face  with  a  look  that  Joe 
said  he  never  could  forget.  Bill  said :  "My  God, 
I'm   speeding  down  the  hill  and   I   can't  find  the 

i  145 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


brake."  Speeding  down  hill  and  I  can't  find  the 
brake !  Young  men,  put  on  the  brake  at  the  top  of 
the  hill,  and  stand  to-day  in  the  strength  of  God 
and  your  manhood  and  you  can  live  a  life  that  an 
angel  would  be  proud  to  own. 

The  other  thing  is  this :  We're  all  guilty  !  You 
may  not  be  a  gambler,  I  may  not  be  a  profane  man, 
and  you  may  not  be  an  impure  man,  but  we  all 
of  us  are  sinners  and  have  within  us  the  root  of 
sin  from  which  these  things  spring.  We  are  not 
perfect,  and  we  need  to  have  our  lives  cleansed. 
How  shall  it  be  done  ?  Listen.  "As  a  man  thinketh 
in  his  heart  so  is  he."  "Out  of  the  heart  proceedeth 
evil  thoughts  and  such  like."  If  the  fountain  head 
of  a  stream  is  unclean,  how  can  you  expect  clean 
water  to  flow  down  the  river?  And  if  the  heart 
is  unclean,  how  are  you  going  to  have  pure  thoughts 
to  dwell  in  the  mind  and  pure  words  to  fall  from 
the  lips  and  pure  actions  to  characterize  the  life? 
And  now  listen.  "If  we  confess  our  sin  He  is 
faithful  and  just  to  forgive  us  our  sin," — thank 
God,  it  makes  no  difference  about  the  past, — "and 
to  cleanse  us  from  all  unrighteousness,"  You've 
tried  to  win  the  victory  alone  and  you  know  how 
you've  failed,  but  listen  again.  "The  Spirit  of  the 
life  of  Christ  makes  me  free  from  the  law  of  sin 
and  death."     Believe  it  and  try  it. 

And  now  I  want  you  to  listen  to  four  or  five 
brief  reasons  why  every  man  of  us  ought  to  live 
the  White  life,  the  Christ  life,  which  is  the  Chris- 
tian life. 

The  first  is,  it  is  the  manly  life.  I  have  never  heard 
146 


FISHING    FOR    HEN 


of  but  one  man  who  ever  gave  any  real  reason  for 
not  being  a  Christian,  and  he  frankly  confessed  that 
he  wasn't  man  enough.  It  takes  a  man  to  be  a 
Christian;  anybody  can  live  the  other  kind  of  life. 
There  are  some  men  who  are  daring  to  refuse  the 
surrender  of  their  lives  of  God,  thinking  to  do  just 
as  they  please,  as  long  as  they  please,  and  expecting 
God  to  save  them  when  they  get  a  good  ready  to 
let  Him.  Man,  if  you've  ever  thought  a  thing  like 
that,  never  think  it  again  and  lay  claim  to  being  a 
real  man. 

Second,  it  is  the  reasonable  life.  I  have  heard 
of  a  man  who  said  he  was  going  to  decide  this  thing 
in  a  reasonable  way,  and  that  he  would  write  down 
on  one  piece  of  paper  all  the  reasons  why  he  ought 
to  be  a  Christian,  and  on  another  all  the  reasons 
why  he  ought  not  to  be  a  Christian,  and  then  he 
would  weigh  the  matter  in  a  rational  way  and  decide 
like  a  reasonable  man.  And  so  he  began.  He  wrote 
first  the  reasons  why  he  ought  to  be  a  Christian, 
and  his  pen  just  flew  down  the  paper  and  up  on  the 
other  side  until  it  was  all  full  of  reasons ;  and  then 
he  began  with  the  reasons  why  he  ought  not  to  be 
a  Christian.  He  put  down  the  figure  one  and  there 
his  pen  stopped.  He  could  not  think  of  one  single 
reason  why  he  ought  not  to  be  a  Christian.  And 
you  can't  either.  There  are  no  such  reasons.  Some 
men  talk  and  act  as  though  the  gospels  were  un- 
worthy the  endorsement  of  a  thinking  brain,  but, 
friends,  the  brains  of  the  world  are  marshalled  on 
the  side  of  the  gospel.  Mr.  Gladstone  was  a  brainy 
man,  wasn't  he?  and  he  said:  "Forty  years  have 
147 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


I  been  in  the  service  of  my  country,  and  I  have 
come  in  contact  with  sixty  of  the  master  minds  ot 
the  kingdom,  and  they  were  all  Christians  but  three 
or  four."  Your  martyred  president  was  not  too 
brainy  to  be  a  Christian.  The  present  president  is 
not  too  brainy  to  be  a  Christian.  No,  brother,  come 
with  all  your  intellect  to-day  and  you  will  find  your- 
self in  agreeable  company  as  far  as  brains  go. 

In  the  third  place,  it  is  the  life  of  great  blessing. 
Every  man  who  has  tried  it  knows  tl/is  is  true. 
Why,  man,  you  can  lie  down  to  sleep  every  night 
with  heaven  in  your  soul  if  you're  living  a  Chris- 
tian life ;  and  oh,  what  it  would  mean  for  the  home 
if  father  and  husband  were  only  a  Christian. 

In  the  fourth  place,  it  is  the  heavenly  life.  Paul 
says:  "They  that  do  such  things  shall  not  inherit 
the  kingdom  of  Heaven." 

I  have  read  the  story  of  a  man  upon  whom  the 
drink  habit  had  fastened  its  terrible  grip ;  it  took 
his  wife  and  child  from  a  beautiful  home  to  a 
miserable  garret.  One  day  a  message  came  to  him 
while  in  a  drunken  stupor,  saying  to  him  that  if 
he  wanted  to  see  his  little  boy  alive  he  must  come 
at  once.  It  sobered  him  instantly,  and,  going  home, 
he  found  his  boy  with  but  an  hour  of  life  before 
him.  He  had  been  playing  in  the  street  and  was 
run  over  by  a  large  wagon  and  terribly  crushed. 
As  the  father  came  and  knelt  at  the  cot,  the  little 
fellow  took  his  hand  and  said:  "Father,  I  can't 
die  till  you  promise  me  you  will  give  up  your  sin 
and  meet  me  and  mamma  in  Heaven."  "And,"  said 
the  man,  "with  his  hand  in  mine  I  promised  God 
148 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


I'd  make  an  honest  effort  to  give  up  my  sin,  and 
promised  my  boy  I'd  meet  him  in  the  better  world, 
and  ever  since  that  time  I  have  felt  the  clutch  of 
my  little  boy's  hand  pulling  me  higher  and  higher, 
and  I  know  I  can't  help  reaching  Heaven  at  last." 
And,  man,  if  you  ever  reach  Heaven,  if  in  your  re- 
deemed state  you  ever  meet  again  those  you  love, 
it  will  be  when  you  take  your  stand  for  God  with 
the  other  Christian  men  of  this  community,  and 
by  His  help  make  an  honest  effort  to  forsake  your 
sin. 

Let  me  now  mention  a  last  reason,  and  it  seems 
to  m'e  it  ought  to  stir  all  that  is  best  and  noblest 
in  every  man  here.  It  is  this :  others  need  your  help. 
There  are  men  here  who  could  stand  up  to-day  and 
say:  "I  mean  henceforth  to  be  a  Christian  man," 
and  your  whole  family  would  come  running  into 
the  kingdom  of  God ;  but  because  you  have  not  had 
the  courage  or  have  not  had  the  concern  to  take 
your  stand  boldly  on  the  side  of  God,  you  have  been 
standing  in  the  way  of  those  whom  God  has  given 
you. 

I  said  this  one  time  in  Ohio,  and  a  man  well  on 
in  years  came  to  me  at  the  close  of  the  meeting 
and  said:  "Did  you  mean  what  you  said?"  And 
I  replied,  I  did  most  certainly  mean  that  very  thing ; 
and  as  I  took  the  big  man's  hand  (for  he  was  an 
unusually  large  fellow)  his  lips  began  to  tremble 
and  a  tear  stole  in  his  eye  as  he  said :  "And  to 
think  of  it  that  last  year  my  nineteen-year-old  boy 
was  taken  from  me,  and  in  all  his  life  he  had  never 
heard  his  father  pray." 

149 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


And  I  said :  "Mr.  Patton,  give  your  heart  to 
God  to-night."  And  he  replied:  "By  the  help  of 
God  I  mean  to  be  a  Christian." 

The  next  night  when  the  invitation  was  given  I 
saw  him  coming  down  the  aisle  with  a  young  lady, 
and  when  he  reached  the  front  he  said :  "Mr. 
Biederwolf,  this  is  my  daughter."  The  next  night 
I  saw  that  young  lady  sitting  with  another  and 
across  the  aisle  was  Mr.  Patton  with  an  elderly 
woman,  and  while  the  opportunity  was  being  given 
for  people  to  come  to  Christ  I  looked  down  among 
those  who  stood  at  the  front,  and  there  stood  this 
man  with  the  other  just  mentioned,  and  calling  me 
to  him,  he  said,  "Mr.  Biederwolf,  this  is  my  other 
daughter  and  this  is  my  wife,"  and  there  he  was 
with  his  entire  family  inside  the  kingdom  of  God, 
because  he  had  done  at  last  what  for  many  long 
years  the  Spirit  of  God  had  been  constraining  him 
to  do. 

There  are  men  here  this  afternoon  who  have  been 
blighting  the  faith  of  your  wives  and  by  your  in- 
difference to  the  things  of  God  have  been  throwing 
wet  blankets  on  the  endeavor  of  the  mother  to  train 
the  little  one  in  the  way  of  Christ ;  there  are  fathers 
here  to-day  whose  children  not  only  have  never 
heard  you  pray,  but  in  whose  little  hearts  the  tender 
sprout  of  faith  and  love  is  being  frozen  by  your 
disposition  toward  Christ  and  the  concerns  of  the 
soul. 

Oh,  man,  you've  been  worse  than  the  Chinese,  for 
while  they  dwarf  the  feet  of  their  little  ones  you 
have  been  dwarfing  their  souls  and  crushing  out  of 

150 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


their  hearts  every  inclination  to  be  pure  and  holy 
and  Christlike.  Father,  in  God's  name,  what  do  you 
mean?  You've  all  doubtless  heard  the  story;  I  tell 
it  only  because  it  is  so  forceful,  the  story  of  a  man 
going  out  to  his  barn  one  wintry  morning  after 
a  fresh  fall  of  snow.  He  did  not  know  his  little 
six-year-old  boy  was  following  until  he  heard  the 
little  voice  behind  him,  saying:  "Papa,  I'se  putting 
my  feet  in  your  tracks,"  and  looking  back  he  saw 
the  child  stretching  out  his  little  legs  and  putting 
his  foot  in  the  place  made  by  his  father's  in  the 
snow.  Oh,  father,  that  very  thing  is  true  of  your 
child  to-day ;  putting  his  feet  in  your  tracks ;  which 
way  are  those  tracks  leading? 

Mrs.  J.  K.  Barney  has  been  called  "the  prison 
angel" ;  and  she  has  befriended  more  prisoners  per- 
haps than  any  other  woman  of  our  day.  Entering 
a  New  England  prison  one  day,  the  warden  said  to 
her:  "Mrs.  Barney,  there  is  a  young  prisoner 
dying;  we  have  sent  for  his  mother,  but  there  has 
been  a  wreck  on  the  old  Cape  Colony  Road  and 
she  cannot  arrive  before  her  boy  is  dead.  Won't  you 
be  a  mother  to  him  ?"  Mrs.  Barney  knew  what  that 
meant ;  she  went  up  to  his  bed  and  talked  to  him 
about  God,  and  heard  him  say  his  faith  was  in 
Christ.  Then  he  said:  "Mrs.  Barney,  they  tell  me 
mother  can't  get  here  until  after  I  am  gone ;  .won't 
you  say  to  her  for  me  that  I  asked  her  to  kiss  me 
and  say  she  would  forgive  me  for  all  my  sins 
against  her?"  and  a  few  moments  after  the  young 
man  was  dead.  About  an  hour  later  the  old  train 
came  rolling  in.    The  mother's  first  inquiry  was  for 

i=;i 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


her  boy,  and  when  told  he  was  gone,  she  had  to  be 
fairly  carried  up  the  stairs  to  where  he  lay.  Mrs. 
Barney  delivered  the  message  and  what  do  you  sup- 
pose the  mother  did  ?  Just  what  your  mother  would 
done  if  you  had  lain  in  the  young  man's  place.  She 
lifted  back  the  sheet,  and  while  tears  streamed  from 
her  eyes  she  kissed  his  pale  face  and  said:  "Jo^. 
your  mother  has  come  and  she  forgives  you,  but,  O 
God,  his  father." 

"Mrs.  Barney,"  she  said,  "I  suppose  you  think 
that  this  is  a  strange  prayer  to  make,  but  when  this 
boy  was  but  nine  years  old  I  heard  him  utter  an 
awful  oath,  and  when  I  reproved  him  for  it,  he  said : 
'Why,  mamma,  I  heard  papa  say  that  last  night,' 
and  when  he  was  but  twelve  I  found  him  half  in- 
toxicated, and  with  these  arms  I  carried  him  into 
the  home  and  held  him  until  the  stupor  had  worn 
away,  and  heard  him  say  that  the  one  who  gave 
him  the  drink  was  his  father.  Mrs.  Barney,"  she 
said,  "that  was  the  beginning;  this  is  the  end,"  and 
stooping  down,  she  kissed  him  again  and  said :  "Joe, 
your  mother  has  come  and  she  forgives  you,  but, 
oh,  my  God,  the  father." 

Listen,  men,  while  I  tell  you  something  better 
than  that.  A  young  lad  of  fourteen  lay  dying  and 
the  broken-hearted  father  was  kneeling  by  the  bed- 
side. "Willie,"  he  said,  "I  have  a  sad  message  for 
you;  the  doctor  tells  me  you  are  dying."  The  little 
boy  closed  his  eyes  just  a  minute  and  then,  as  a 
sweet  smile  stole  across  his  face,  he  opened  them 
and  said:  "Papa,  I'm  not  afraid  to  die  and  when  I 
die  I'll  hurry  up  and  find  out  Jesus  and  tell  Him  I 

152 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


had  the  best  papa  in  all   the  world  because  you 
taught  me  all  my  days  to  love  Him." 

Oh,  father,  if  your  boy  were  taken  from  you  to- 
night could  he  say  a  thing  like  that  about  you? 
When  the  time  comes  that  I  must  stand  by  the  open 
grave  of  those  I  love  I  want  to  be  able  to  lift  my 
face  to  Heaven  and  say  that  while  they  were  with 
me  I  did  all  I  could  to  help  them  be  as  God  would 
have  them  be.  Don't  you?  And  God  knows 
I  could  not  say  that,  and  you  could  not  say  it,  un- 
less we  have  been  earnest  and  positive  Christian 
men  ourselves ;  and  when  the  time  comes  when  I 
must  meet  them  again  in  the  presence  of  the  God  of 
us  all,  I  want  that  they  shall  be  able  to  witness  be- 
fore Him  that  I  was  a  help  and  not  a  hindrance  to 
them  on  their  way  to  Heaven.  Don't  you  ?  And  if 
you  do,  will  you  say,  "From  this  day  I  mean  as 
far  as  I  can  to  live  the  life  I  believe  God  wants 
me  to  live"  ? 


153 


CHAPTER    FOURTEENTH. 

A  FATAL  MISTAKE. 

Fred  B.  Smith  lias  been  called  one  of  the  greatest 
preachers  to  young  men  in  modern  times.  I  have 
no  hesitation  in  saying  that  I 
have  never  seen  another  audi- 
ence so  moved  as  the  audience 
in  Topeka,  Kansas,  when  Mr. 
Smith  preached  the  following 
sermon. 

All  of  his  time  is  now  de- 
voted to  this  special  work  for 
men.  He  is  hnnself  so  manly 
in  his  presentation  of  the  gos- 
pel and  so  thoroughly  imbued 
with  the  impression  that  every 
man  needs  Jesus  Christ  to  com- 
plete and  control  his  life,  that 
his  arguments  and  pleadings  are  well  nigh  irre- 
sistible. He  is  a  master  in  his  control  of  audiences, 
and  in  his  after-meeting  work  is  as  strong  as  any 
evangelist  I  have  ever  known. 

I  saw  more  than  three  hundred  men  take  a  stand 
for  Christ  at  the  close  of  this  sermon.  Several  thou- 
sand men  were  present  and  the  attention  and  in- 
terest manifested  were  intense. 

He  said:  I  will  read  a  few  verses  from  the  loth 
chapter  of  Mark's  Gospel,  beginning  with  the  17th 
verse :     *     *     * 


FRED  B.  SMITH. 


154 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


For  many  years  in  my  life  when  I  wanted  to  refer 
to  some  character  that  was  beautiful  and  that  would 
inspire  high  and  noble  living,  I  always  referred  to 
the  "Rich  Young  Ruler,"  described  in  this  scripture, 
but  suddenly  the  whole  picture  of  his  life  and 
record  changed  from  one  of  inspiration  to  one  of 
warning,  and  since,  in  increasing  measure,  has  this 
warning  intensified  and  the  seriousness  of  his  error 
become  more  apparent.  I  want,  if  possible,  there- 
fore to  bring  from  this  young  man's  experience  a 
timely  message  of  warning  to  other  young  men  that 
may  be  following  in  the  channel  of  his  thought. 

There  are  four  such  warnings  that  I  wish  to  speak 
of.  The  first  one  suggests  itself  to  all  of  you.  Al- 
ways and  everywhere  the  preacher  has  never  tired 
of  referring  to  this  young  man  as  a  zcarniug  to  the 
rich  man.  From  my  boyhood,  as  I  look  back,  it 
seems  to  me  that  that  is  the  picture  I  have  always 
had  of  this  man.  Over  and  over  again  has  he  been 
held  up  as  a  warning  to  the  man  that  was  absorbed 
in  getting  wealth.  Personally  I  have  no  doubt 
about  that  warning  being  true.  There  can  be  no 
mistaking  this  message,  and  here  is  a  clarion  ring- 
ing voice  warnmg  every  man  on  the  question  ot 
money.  I  believe  the  words  of  Jesus  Christ  need 
but  very  little  explanation.  If  ever  there  was  a 
man  that  spoke  plainly  that  man  was  the  Son  of 
God.  And  when  He  said:  "How  hardly  shall  a  rich 
man  enter  the  kingdom  of  God,"  I  think  He  meant 
just  what  He  said  If  He  didn't  mean  that,  I  feel 
sure  He  would  have  said  what  He  meant.  There- 
fore this  message  comes,  first,  with  that  warning  in 

155 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


J 


it.  Two  things  I  think  are  important,  though:  You 
will  notice  that  when  the  disciples  were  so  aston- 
ished at  that  statement,  Jesus  said:  "How  hardly 
shall  they  that  inist  in  riches  enter  the  kingdom  of 
God."  I  do  not  know  of  a  place  in  the  Bible  where 
wealth  as  such  is  condemned,  but  everywhere  run- 
ning through  it  the  right  use  of  wealth  is  exalted. 
It  is  well  for  us  to  remember  that  this  is  not  a 
sweeping  charge  against  every  man  that  is  engaged 
in  getting  wealth.  It  is  well  for  us  to  remember 
the  other  thing  also,  namely :  It  is  not  a  question  of 
the  amount  of  money  involved.  One  man  may  be 
as  much  kept  away  from  God  over  getting  ten  dol- 
lars a  week  as  another  man  is  in  getting  ten  thou- 
sand. It  is  not  a  question  of  how  much  it  is.  It 
is  simply  a  question  of  this :  Has  the  struggle  for 
bread,  the  conquest  for  gain,  the  battle  of  the  com- 
mercial world,  so  consumed  and  so  fascinated  you 
that  you  have  shut  God  out  of  your  life?  If  it  has, 
Jesus  Christ  speaks  again  about  it  when  he  says  to 
you :  "How  hardly  shall  the  man  that  is  so  con- 
sumed with  things  of  this  world  ever  enter  the 
kingdom  of  God."  There  is  that  warning,  but  I 
think  it  is  only  on  the  surface,  and  I  feel  sure  that  if 
that  had  been  the  only  teaching  that  Jesus  intended 
to  leave  from  this  incident.  He  would  not  have  given 
it  a  place  in  His  Book. 

Wc  pass  to  the  second  warning.  Not  only  is  that 
a  warning  to  the  rich  man,  but  it  is  a  warning  to 
another  very  large  class.  More  times  in  the  cycle 
of  a  year  in  my  own  life  I  hear  this,  than  any  other 
one  objection  to  the  religious  life.     When  I  press 

156 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


many  a  man  about  his  personal  obligation  to  live 
for  God,  he  will  answer  me  in  this  way :  He  says, 
"It  is  true,  I  am  not  a  religious  man.  I  have  never 
personally  accepted  of  Jesus  Christ.  I  have  never 
affiliated  myself  with  organized  Christianity;  but  I 
believe  in  it,  and  more  than  that,  I  am  trying  to 
live  an  honest,  upright  life."  Or,  to  be  very  quick 
with  my  figure:  That  man  says  to  me,  "I  am  not 
a  professing  Christian  man ;  I  have  never  entered 
the  religious  life;  hut  I  am  living  a  moral  life,"  and 
he  tells  me  that  he  pays  his  debts,  that  he  is  kind 
to  his  family,  and  tries  to  be  a  good  citizen,  and 
that  therefore  he  feels  his  account  is  right  with  God. 

Hear  me ! 

There  is  not  a  man  in  all  this  vast  audience,  not 
one ;  there  is  not  a  man  in  the  beautiful  city  of 
Topeka ;  there  is  not  a  man  in  the  whole  state  of 
Kansas ;  there  is  not  one  man  living  in  these  United 
States,  nor  on  this  North  American  continent — there 
is  not  one  man  living  to-day  in  the  whole  realm  of 
the  world,  that  can  stand  up  and  say,  "My  life  has 
been  equal  to  that  of  the  rich  young  ruler."  Here 
was  a  moral  man  of  the  moral  men.  When  Jesus 
asked  him  about  that  half  of  the  commandments 
that  had  to  do  with  his  relation  to  men,  recall  what 
he  said.  Quickly  this  young  man  answered:  "I 
have  kept  all  of  them  from  my  youth."  If  there  is 
a  man  in  this  audience  that  dare  stand  up  and  say 
that  from  his  youth  he  has  kept  all  of  these  com- 
mandments, I  pause  to  let  that  man  rise  to  declare 
that  he  has  so  lived.  We  know  he  has  not,  and  I 
am  sure  that  when  Jesus  held  the  interview  with 

157 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


this  young  man,  He  was  bringing  out  with  His  di- 
vine wisdom  an  answer  forever  and  eternally  to  that 
carping  man  that  would  rob  God  of  the  glory  of 
his  life  by  saying:  "I  am  living  a  moral  life." 
There  is  many  a  man  that  seems  to  think  there  is 
some  credit  due  him  because  he  is  out  of  jail.  I 
suspect  there  are  a  lot  of  men  in  this  audience  that 
ought  to  be  in  jail,  and  if  the  truth  was  known  about 
some  of  you,  they  would  put  you  in  jail  before  the 
sun  goes  down.  The  fact  that  you  are  out  of  jail 
does  not  prove  very  much.  The  religious  life  is 
not  composed  of  negations,  is  not  a  system  of  nega- 
tives. God  not  only  wants  you  to  keep  from  theft 
and  from  stealing  and  from  adultery  and  gambling 
and  from  murder  and  the  like,  but,  hear  me! 
Brother,  God  wants  your  heart;  God  wants  your 
life.  God  wants  your  service.  God  wants  your 
ALL!  He  will  have  that,  or  He  will  have  nothing. 
No  standard  of  morality,  be  it  ever  so  high,  is 
equivalent  to, the  demand  God  has  on  every  man's 
life  through  the  grace  of  Jesus  Christ.  There  is  the 
warning  to  the  rich  man ;  and  there  is  the  warning 
to  the  man  that  is  living  only  by  human  standards. 
There  is  another  warning  this  young  man  brings. 
He  teaches  me  that  it  is  entirely  possible  for  a 
man  to  be  very,  very  near  the  kingdom  of  God,  and 
then  he  forever  lost.  Look  at  this  scene,  if  you  will : 
This  man  running  out  by  the  roadside,  and  as  he 
ran,  in  his  intensity  he  threw  himself  down  on  the 
ground  upon  his  knees  in  salutation,  and  said,  "Oh, 
Master,  what  shall  I  do  that  I  may  inherit  eternal 
life?"    Had  it  been  the  custom  of  the  day,  he  could 

158 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


have  reached  out  and  taken  the  hand  that  was  to 
be  scarred  for  the  sins  of  the  world.  This  young 
man  knelt  there,  and  he  heard  the  way  of  salvation, 
not  from  the  lips  of  a  faltering  prophet,  priest  or 
king.  This  young  man  heard  the  way  of  salva- 
tion from  the  very  author  of  it,  while  He  paused 
in  His  busy  life  to  tell  that  young  man  what  he 
must  do  to  be  saved.  He  had  the  privilege  that 
some  of  us  are  longing  for  and  our  souls  are  yearn- 
ing for  the  hour  when  it  shall  burst  upon  us.  This 
young  man  saw  "face  to  face"  the  Savior  of  the 
world. 

This  young  man  had  the  privilege.  He  looked 
into  the  very  eyes  and  heard  the  words  and  stood 
in  the  presence  of  the  Son  of  God,  and  yet  we  see 
him  as  he  turns  sorrowing  away  and,  so  far  as  we 
know,  he  was  a  lost  man. 

Only  a  little  while  ago  I  rose  on  a  Sunday  morn- 
ing early,  and  read  all  of  Luke's  Gospel  to  see  if 
I  could  find  some  character  somewhere  that  would 
correspond  with  this  young  man  that  had  at  a  later 
time  come  back  in  his  life  and  repented  and  ac- 
cepted of  Jesus  Christ ;  but  I  could  not  find  one.  I 
do  not  know,  but  so  far  as  the  record  is  given  us, 
after  being  so  very  near  that  line  of  decision,  he 
drifted  out  into  the  world  and  went  into  a  Christ- 
less  eternity,  without  God,  without  hope. 

My  warning  is  this :  You  are  living  in  a  land 
where  there  are  more  church  spires  pointing  their 
majestic  finger  toward  God  than  in  any  other  land 
in  the  world,  save  one.  More  sweet  chimes  in 
America  ring  calling  the  people  to  God  and  to  prayer 
159 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


tlian  in  any  other  land  in  all  the  world.  More 
prayers  are  being  said  now  than  ever  in  the  history 
of  life.  This  is  it:  My  brother,  you  note  my  mes- 
sage to-day !  You  may  live  in  this  land ;  you  may 
live  in  a  place  where  your  streets  are  crowded  with 
churches;  you  may  hear  over  and  over  again  the 
yearning  appeal  of  the  Gospel.  You  may  have  been 
prayed  over  by  the  sweetest  mother  that  ever  sung 
a  lullaby  hymn  to  her  child.  You  may  have  been 
counselled  by  the  Godliest  father  that  ever  lived. 
You  may  have  been  reared  under  the  very  dripping 
of  the  sanctuary  of  the  church  of  God,  and  despite 
it  all,  you  may  be  drifting  out  into  the  world  and 
into  sin,  to  go  out  of  this  life  without  Christ,  with- 
out hope. 

Almost  in  the  Kingdom,  and  yet  he  was  lost.  Oh, 
I  wonder  how  many  men  there  are  in  this  audience 
that  you  can  look  back  now  to  times  when  you  were 
on  the  very  verge  of  giving  your  heart  to  God  and 
then  somehow  swung  away  from  it?  I  suspect 
while  I  stand  here  now  I  am  delivering  the  last 
message  to  some  man.  I  suspect  some  man  is  stand- 
ing on  the  mount  this  afternoon  and  is  going  to  hear 
his  last  Gospel  message.  Either  accept  it,  or  turn 
away  into  the  world  to  spurn  God  and  trample  it 
under  foot,  and  go  out  of  life  without  God.  The 
saddest  hymn  in  all  hymnology  is  that  one  we  some- 
times sing,  "Almost  Persuaded."  You  have  been 
there — "almost  persuaded."    It  closes  thus: 


i6o 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


"Almost,  cannot  avail; 
Almost,  is  but  to  fail. 
Sad,  sad  that  bitter  wail, 
Almost,  but  lost." 

Let  this  man  speak  to  you  to-day  from  1900  years 
ago  that  it  is  possible  for  a  man  to  be  very  nearly 
in  the  kingdom  of  God  and  then  be  forever  lost. 

There  is  another  warning.  Not  only  does  this  in- 
cident warn  me  of  the  danger  of  becoming  over 
much  consumed  in  getting  wealth,  and  of  the  danger 
of  trusting  alone  in  a  moral  standard,  but  that  it  is 
possible  for  a  man  to  be  very  nearly  saved,  and  then 
be  lost.  I  want  you  to  get  this  last  one.  Get  that 
scene  before  you  vividly.  The  young  man  running 
out  by  the  roadside.  He  throws  himself  on  the 
ground  and  looks  up  in  the  face  of  Jesus.  He  says : 
"Master,  what  shall  I  do  that  I  may  inherit  eternal 
life?''  What  did  Jesus  say  to  him?  Did  he  say: 
"You  must  quit  that  gambling,  quit  that  stealing, 
quit  that  lying.  Young  man,  put  that  impurity  out 
of  your  life?"  Not  a  word  of  it.  Those  things 
were  foreign  to  his  life.  Hear  it !  Jesus  looked  on 
that  young  man  and  said  He  loved  him,  and  then 
said,  Young  man,  rich  young  man,  honest  young 
man,  pure  young  man,  noble  young  man,  "ONE 
THIXG  THOU  LACK  EST!" 

I  know  of  no  other  four  words  in  the  Bible  that 
carry  such  ponderous  power  with  them.  "One  thing 
thou  lackest."  If  I  should  ever  write  a  book,  these 
four  words  will  be  the  theme  of  it.  You  may  start 
to-day  and  you  may  go  around  the  world,  and  as 

K  161 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


you  go  take  a  paint-pot  and  brush  and  painter  with 
you,  and  as  you  travel  around  you  may  go  to  every 
penitentiary,  where  the  young  men  pace  back  and 
forth  behind  the  bars,  Hke  caged  Hons  with  faces 
blanched  white ;  and  when  you  come  to  the  cell  you 
need  not  write  over  it  the  word  "Murderer"  or 
**Robber."  You  may  simply  write  over  every  cell  in 
that  penitentiary  these  four  words:  "One  thing 
thou  lackest."  And  it  will  tell  the  secret  of  the  life 
behind  the  bars.  You  may  go  to  two-thirds  of  all 
the  insane  hospitals,  where  the  poor  souls  go  with 
reason  dethroned,  and  you  may  write  over  two- 
thirds  of  them  just  those  four  words:  "One  thing 
thou  lackest."  Yonder  where  that  poor  mother 
kneels  this  afternoon  and  no  rest  comes  to  her  body 
and  no  peace  to  her  soul,  there  where  she  agonizes 
over  some  of  you  young  men,  you  may  simply  write 
over  her,  as  she  bows  there  with  broken  heart, 
praying  for  a  prodigal  son :  "One  thing  thou 
lackest." 

In  every  sad  place,  in  every  broken  heart,  in  every 
place  of  sin,  in  all  the  cycle  of  the  world,  you  may 
write  over  it  these  four  words,  and  it  will  tell  you 
the  secret  of  the  ruin  and  sorrow  and  the  broken 
heart. 

There  are  three  things  I  want  to  say  about  that 
"One  thing  thou  lackest."  First  is  this:  Lacking 
that  one  thing,  many  a  man  has  utterly  gone  to 
ruin  in  this  world.  In  the  Spanish  war,  sitting  one 
day  by  the  side  of  our  tent  in  old  Chickamaugua 
Park,  I  noticed  a  young  soldier  climbing  the  moun- 
tain side  towards  us.  I  wondered  what  he  could 
162 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


want.  Despair  was  written  on  his  face.  Finally 
he  sat  down  on  the  hillside  and  bowed  his  head  over 
in  his  hands.  I  went  down  to  him  and  stood  by  his 
side  and  said:  "Soldier,  what  is  the  trouble?"  He 
said :  "I  am  a  mean,  miserable  man,  the  most  miser- 
able of  all  this  camp."  He  was  nothing  but  a  beard- 
less boy.  I  said :  "Tell  me  your  trouble ;  I  would 
like  to  help  you."  He  said :  "Day  before  yester- 
day we  got  our  first  pay,  $34.16  I  drew.  When  I 
left  my  home  in  Mississippi,  my  mother  said  she 
could  not  spare  me,  that  I  was  her  only  support.  I 
promised  her  I  would  send  every  cent  I  got  back 
to  her."  He  said:  "I  took  that  money  and  came 
down  here  to  get  a  money  order  to  send  home.  On 
the  way  I  met  some  soldiers,  and  one  of  them  had 
a  whisky  bottle,  and  I  took  a  drink.  I  don't  know 
where  I  have  been,  but  I  have  been  gambling  and 
my  money  is  all  gone."  I  said  to  that  young  sol- 
dier: "What  can  I  do  for  you?"  He  said:  "I 
thought  I  would  come  up  and  ask  some  of  you  if 
you  wouldn't  write  a  letter  to  my  mother  and  tell 
her  about  it."  I  said  to  him :  "What  shall  I  w-rite 
your  mother?"  He  said:  "Write  her  that  I  was 
robbed.  Write  her  that  it  was  stolen  from  me.  In 
God's  name  write  her  anything,  but  don't  write  her 
that  I  have  been  drunk  and  gambled  it  away."  As  I 
stood  by  him,  I  said  to  myself:  "Is  this  young  man 
a  gambler?  Is  he  a  drunkard?  Does  he  hate  his 
mother?  Is  he  deliberately  wicked  and  cruel  and 
mean  in  his  heart?"  Just  one  trouble!  When  he 
left  home  that  young  man  was  lacking  in  one  thing 
— and  that  was  the  power  of  Jesus  Christ  in  his 

163 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


life,  and  lacking  that  had  brought  him  to  that  place 
of  sorrow  and  disgrace. 

Hear  me,  young  men!  Some  day,  if  the  raging 
torrent  of  sin  sweeps  you  over  and  you  lie  on  the 
rocks  yonder,  bruised,  bleeding  and  undone,  re- 
member what  I  said  to  you  this  afternoon.  You 
will  go  there  just  because  you  lack  this  one  thing. 

There  is  another  thing  I  want  to  say  about  those 
four  words.  Mark  it  close !  You  may  go  and  get 
everything  in  all  the  world  that  you  ever  dreamed 
of.  Let  your  mind  go  out  quick  over  all  the  things 
you  have  ever  thought  you  would  like  to  do  in  the 
world.  Sum  it  up  now — of  all  the  victories  that 
you  dreamed  of  winning,  of  the  money  you  would 
make,  of  the  fame  you  would  have,  of  the  wisdom 
that  some  day  should  be  yours.  Sum  it  all  up,  and 
I  give  you  my  word  that  if  you  go  and  get  it  all 
and  leave  out  that  "one  thing,"  your  life  is  going 
to  be  a  failure,  and  some  day  you  will  give  that 
testimony  before  you  leave  this  old  world.  I  knew 
a  man,  that  from  boyhood  was  oft  exhorted  to  live 
the  Christian  life,  but  always  put  ofif  the  day  of  de- 
cision. "I  am  going  to,  but  there  is  no  hurry,"  was 
many  times  his  answer.  After  fifty  years  he  was 
violently  taken  ill,  almost  the  first  time  in  his  life. 
The  doctor  quickly  told  him  it  was  a  sickness  unto 
death,  that  only  two  or  three  days  at  most  were 
left  him,  and  that  his  business  must  be  adjusted  at 
once.  He  said :  "It  is  not  business  I  want  to  ad- 
just." He  sent  for  an  old  minister,  and  for  forty- 
eight  hours  they  tried  in  vain  to  bring  him  to  trust 


164 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


in  Christ.  He  refused  to  believe  God  would  accept 
him,  and  the  third  morning,  as  the  end  approached, 
he  talked  with  sons,  daughters,  sons-in-law  and 
friends,  and  to  each  gave  the  same  pleading:  "Do 
not  make  the  mistake  I  have";  and  with  the  old 
pastor  hurrying  a  prayer  to  God  to  save  him  at  the 
last  moment,  with  some  friends  trying  through  tears 
to  sing,  "Jesus,  Lover  of  my  Soul,"  he  raised  him- 
self, and  calling  his  oldest  son,  said:  "Hold  my 
hand,  boy,  it  is  getting  dark,  I  cannot  see,  it  is  a 
failure,"  and  dropped  back  on  his  pillow,  and  his 
spirit  winged  its  way  to  God.  His  dying  words 
were:  "It  is  a  failure."  In  what,  money?  No!  he 
had  accumulated  a  goodly  sum.  Estimation  of  his 
friends?  A-o!  highly  honored  among  men.  In  his 
home?  A^o!  one  of  the  kindest  of  men.  A  failure 
in  this,  that  amid  the  busy  activities  ot  his  life  he 
had  forgotten  God,  and  when  he  lay  down  to  die 
he  left  as  his  parting  message  that  sad  confession — 
"It  is  a  failure." 

My  brother,  go  get  gold  until  you  can  pile  it 
mountain  high.  Go  get  wisdom  until  you  can  vie 
with  Solomon.  Go  get  glory  until  your  brow  can 
bear  no  more;  but  leave  God  out  of  your  life,  and 
some  day  you  will  go  out  of  this  world  and  say: 
"It  is  all  a  failure."  I  care  not  what  else  a  man 
gets,  if  he  leaves  God  out  of  his  life  there  will  be 
a  blank  there  that  with  his  own  words  he  will  wish 
he  had  not  lived,  and  that  with  his  own  words  he 
will  say  that  his  life  is  a  failure. 

The  other  side — what  is  it?    I  have  just  said  if 


165 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


a  man  got  everything  in  all  the  world  he  would  like 
to  have,  but  left  God  out,  his  life  would  be  a  failure. 
Now  get  the  other  side  of  it. 

If  you  in  this  life  meet  defeat,  if  in  this  life  at 
every  milestone  you  have  to  pause  and  write,  "It 
has  been  a  defeat  for  me,"  if  you  will  do  what  I 
say,  your  life  is  going  to  be  a  triumph.  After  all, 
there  are  only  a  few  men  who  know  what  the  larg- 
est blessings  of  this  world  are.  Most  men  to  whom 
I  speak  to-day  are  men  that  live  a  hard  struggle; 
most  men  to  whom  I  speak  to-day  are  men  that  wiU 
go  through  a  hard  battle ;  most  men  to  whom  I  speak 
to-day  are  men  that  will  live  in  poverty  and  die  in 
the  struggle.  This  world  showers  its  blessings  in 
largest  measure  on  only  a  few.  Most  of  us  will  never 
be  known  outside  of  the  county  in  which  we  live. 
Hear  me,  my  brother,  and  mark  it  well.  If  you 
will  give  your  heart  to  God  and  serve  Jesus  Christ 
while  you  are  here,  when  you  go  out  of  this  life 
it  is  going  to  be  a  victory!  (Cries  of  "Amen! 
Amen !  Amen  !")  It  is  going  to  be  a  victory  as  sure 
as  I  look  into  your  faces. 

Pardon  me  if  I  use  a  personal  illustration.  Once 
in  twelve  months  I  go  out  to  my  old  farm  home, 
there  where  the  scenes  are  so  familiar  that  they 
swing  me  back  to  childhood's  days,  and  if  there  is  a 
sadness  about  going  there  it  is  this :  somehow  the 
sadness  of  the  struggle  of  the  life  of  my  father 
and  mother.  My  father  is  now  a  man  whose  hair 
is  white — an  old  man,  coming  to  the  close  of  life. 
At  times  he  has  prospered,  only  in  old  age  to  have 
the  uncertain  wheels  of  commercial  life  swing 
i66 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


against  him,  and  he  closes  life  soon  with  nothing  of 
this  world  to  call  his  own.  A  few  years  ago  when  I 
went  to  visit  them,  I  went  with  the  express  purpose 
of  taking  them  away  from  that  old  farm.  I  felt  as 
though  the  time  had  come  for  them  to  leave  it.  I 
stayed  those  da}s  until  on  the  Sunday  night  before 
I  was  to  leave  the  next  morning.  I  waited  until 
all  were  in  bed  and  we  were  alone.  We  sat  in  that 
old  dining-room  that  is  just  as  familiar,  every  crack 
and  corner  of  it,  as  the  faces  of  those  I  love  best. 
Over  on  one  side  of  the  table  sat  my  mother,  with 
the  old  leather  covered  Bible  in  her  lap.  Every  page 
of  that  old  Bible  is  stained  with  tears  of  that  dear 
old  saint.  On  the  other  side  sat  my  father.  I  said : 
"Father  and  mother,  I  have  come  out  here  now  to 
ask  you  to  leave  the  old  farm  and  come  away  from 
it.  It  has  been  only  a  scene  of  hardship."  Mother 
said:  "No!  I  guess  we  had  better  stay  here."  She 
said:  "If  any  of  the  children  or  grandchildren  are 
ever  sick,  here  is  a  place  you  can  come."  I  said : 
"Mother,  you  must  be  so  very  lonely  here,  now,  and 
the  old  farm  has  just  been  a  scene  of  hard  work. 
You  had  better  leave  it." 

Young  men,  when  I  am  looking  for  the  last  time 
into  the  face  of  that  dear  old  mother,  I  want  to  re- 
member her  as  I  saw  her  on  that  night.  I  am  pray- 
ing God  to  keep  her  memory  fresh  with  me  as  I 
saw  her  then.  She  leaned  across  the  table  and 
pushed  her  glasses  up  on  her  forehead,  and  said: 
"We  do  get  lonely  here  sometimes,  but  it  is  only 
for  the  children."  Then,  said  she,  as  she  held  out 
the  Bible  and  looked  me  in  the  face,  "Boy,  we  will 
167 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


never  be  so  very  lonely  while  we  have  this  old 
Bible,"  and  she  clasped  it  to  her  bosom  and  rocked 
to  and  fro. 

I  went  outside  and  stood  alone,  and  as  I  stood 
there  that  night,  I  said:  "I  can  well  go  away  and 
leave  these  dear  old  saints  here  in  the  keeping  of 
Cod." 

Catch  my  illustration  ?  That  is  all  the  world  they 
have.  The  money  is  all  gone.  They  have  never 
had  any  glory  in  this  world.  But  I  will  tell  you 
what  they  have  got :  They  have  a  record  of  years 
of  loyalty  to  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ.  (Cries 
of  "Amen !  Amen !")  And  so  far  as  I  know  they  are 
the  richest  people  I  ever  knew  in  all  the  world. 
They  are  going  out  of  life  soon,  and  that  is  all  they 
have,  but  when  they  go,  I  want  jou  to  know  that 
that  is  going  to  be  a  place  where  we  will  stand 
around  and  we  will  shed  some  tears,  sure ;  but  we 
will  stand  around  that  grave,  and  if  God  gives  me 
grace,  I  am  going  to  shout:  "Hallelujah!  This  is 
Victory!"     (Cries  of  "Amen!  Bless  the  Lord!") 

Listen  to  me  1  Most  of  your  life  is  going  to  be 
defeat.  You  might  as  well  face  it  now.  Most  of 
the  things  you  expect  to  do  you  will  never  accom- 
plish. If  you  truly  and  loyally  give  your  heart  to 
God  and  serve  Jesus  Christ,  stranger  though  I  am 
to  you,  I  will  give  my  word  that  some  day  you  will 
go  out  of  this  life,  shouting:  "Victory!  Glory  to 
God !" 

There  is  a  question  I  want  to  ask,  and  then  I  am 
done.  Up  yonder  in  Dakota  it  was  asked  of  me, 
before  I  was  a  Christian.     I  was  riding  on  a  rail- 

i68 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


way  train  with  three  men.  As  the  train  whirled 
along,  we  had  two  seats  turned  together,  and  our 
conversation  was  not  such  as  becomes  Christian 
men.  The  train  stopped  at  a  little  station,  and  as 
the  passengers  were  going  out  there  came  past  me 
an  old  minister.  I  didn't  know  he  was  in  the  car, 
for  if  I  had  known  he  was  there  my  conduct  would 
have  been  different — I  never  saw  the  day  but  that 
I  respected  the  ministry.  He  leaned  over  and  looked 
at  me.  I  don't  know  who  that  old  man  was ;  I  don't 
know  his  name;  I  don't  know  his  home;  but  that 
strange  old  minister  stopped  at  the  car  seat  beside 
me  and  said :  "Young  man,  will  you  answer  me  a 
question?"  I  said;  "Certainly,  sir,"  and  blushed  as 
I  saw  I  was  in  his  presence.  He  said :  "Young 
man,  why  don't  you  live  like  you  want  to  die?"  He 
didn't  wait  for  answer,  but  walked  out  of  the  car. 
We  rode  on  in  silence  to  the  station  where  I  was  to 
get  off.  I  went  to  the  hotel  and  into  my  room, 
locked  the  door,  and  then  back  and  forth  I  paced, 
as  I  said  to  myself:  "Yes,  why  don't  I  live  like  I 
will  want  to  die?  Why  don't  I  live  like  I  will  want 
to  die?''  I  never  got  that  question  out  of  my  ears. 
I  want  to  give  it  to  you  to-day. 

Young  man,  there  is  going  to  come  a  day  in  your 
life  when  you  will  pray!  Yes,  you  will!  I 
care  not  who  you  are,  though  your  heart  be  as  hard 
as  a  rock.  You  may  be  able  to  listen  to  the  Gospel 
to-day  and  it  never  touch  a  tender  place  in  your  life. 
You  may  have  rejected  Jesus  Christ  until  it  has  be- 
come a  common  thing  to  you.  But  hear  me ! 
Every  man  in  this  audience  will  pray  some  day ! 
169 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


It  may  be  too  late ;  but  you  are  going  to  pray ! 
And  the  agony  of  your  soul  will  go  out  in  that  last 
prayer  you  offer.  I  know  you !  You  feel  strong, 
don't  you  ?  You  can  stand  up  in  the  power 
of  your  physical  strength  and  can  curse  and  damn 
and  swear  and  drink  whisky  and  gamble.  But  you 
will  pray !  Yes,  you  will.  You  will  pray,  and  some 
day  we  will  find  you  on  }Our  face  cr}'ing  for  mercy ! 
You  will  cry :  "Oh,  God,  be  merciful  to  me,  a  sin- 
ner." One  of  the  meanest  and  wickedest  men  I 
ever  knew  was  a  man  that  lived  in  our  village  town. 
He  was  a  gambler,  a  blaspheming  man.  But  the 
day  when  he  thought  he  was  going  to  die  he  ran 
out  of  the  village  and  threw  himself  on  the  ground 
and  cried  so  a  hundred  people  could  hear  him ! 

You  will  pray !  Yes,  you  will.  Some  of  you 
men,  hear  me !  Before  the  snow  flies  over  these 
prairies  again,  some  of  you  will  send  a  hurried  mes- 
sage for  one  of  these  preachers  to  "Come  quick!  I 
am  dying."  You  will  call  a  preacher  to  your  side 
to  pray  for  }'0u,  and  you  will  want  him  to  stand 
over  your  grave  and  say  a  prayer  there. 

Prince  Henry,  that  dauntless  young  man  of  the 
early  history  of  England,  that  young  man  that  de- 
fied God  and  God's  people,  when  he  was  twenty- 
seven  years  old,  was  told:  "Prince,  you  are  dying." 
He  said:  "What?  Dying?"  "Yes,"  they  said,  "You 
are  dying."  Do  you  remember  his  words?  He 
said :  "Tie  a  rope  around  my  body  and  drag  me  out 
to  an  ash  heap  and  let  me  say  my  prayers !"  They 
tied  a  rope  around  the  body  of  Prince  Henry,  and 


170 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


as  they  started  to  the  ash  heap  the  cord  was  broken 
and  the  spirit  of  him  went  out  to  God  before  he  got 
to  the  ash  heap  to  say  his  prayer ! 

I  want  to  read  four  actual  prayers.  Listen,  while 
I  read  you  the  prayer  of  Voltaire,  that  man  that 
damned  God  and  defied  God's  people ;  but  hear  him 
when  he  died ! 

"I  am  abandoned  by  God  and  man.  I  will  give 
you"  (his  physician)  "half  of  what  I  am  worth  if 
you  will  give  me  six  months  of  life.  Then  I  shall 
go  to  hell  and  you  will  go  with  me.  Oh,  Christ ! 
Oh,  Christ  Jesus !"  That  was  the  prayer  of  Vol- 
taire as  he  went  out. 

Listen  while  Tom  Paine  prays : 

"I  would  give  worlds,  if  I  had  them,  that  the  Age 
of  Reason  had  never  been  published.  Oh,  Lord 
God,  help  me.  Oh,  God,  what  have  I  done  to  sufifer 
so  much  ?  Oh,  there  is  no  God.  But  if  there  should 
be  one,  what  will  become  of  me  ?  Stay  with  me,  for 
God's  sake,  for  I  cannot  bear  to  be  left  alone.  Even 
send  a  child  to  stay  with  me." 

Oh,  yes,  Tom  Paine  prayed ! 

Listen !  Listen !  "Earth  is  receding.  Heaven  is 
opening.  God  is  calling  me.  Let  me  go."  And 
Moody,  the  mighty  man  "fell  on  sleep." 

Let  me  give  you  another  one : 

"Good-bye  all.  Good-bye.  It  is  God's  way. 
Nearer,  My  God.  to  Thee."  And  President  Mc- 
Kinley  went  out  to  be  with  God. 

I  am  a  stranger  here.  I  never  was  in  this  town 
before.     I  never  expect  to  be  again.     I  look  into 


171 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


your  faces  only  to-day  and  once  only.  My  young 
man  friend,  I  part  with  you.  May  I  ask  you  this 
question  .• 

"Why  not  be  a  man  and  live  like  you  want  to 
die?" 


172 


CHAPTER    FIFTEENTH. 


AN  OLD  LOVE  STORY. 

The  Rev.  John  H.  Elliott  has  long  been  known 
as  a  successful  worker  in  the  interests  of  men.    For 
years  he  was  a  secretary  of  sev- 
eral   of    the    most    prominent 
Young    Men's    Christian    As- 
sociations in  the  country.  Then 
he  entered  upon  special  evan- 
gelistic work ;  from  this  field  he 
was  called  to  the  assistant  pas- 
torate of  the  Central   Presby- 
terian   Church,    Rochester,    N. 
Y.,  and  then  to  the  pastorate  of 
the    Thirty- fourth    Street    Re- 
formed    Church,     New     York 
REV.  JOHN  H.  ELLIOTT,    city.      After  a  most  successful 
ministry  there,  he  has  entered 
once  more  upon  his  evangelistic  labors  for  which  he 
is  so  well  qualified. 

The  following  sermon  is  characteristic  of  Dr.  El- 
liott, and  is  a  clear  proof  of  the  fact  that  the  plaui 
telling  of  the  story  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ  always 
wins.  This  sermon  has  been  used  of  God  to  lead 
thousands  to  Christ. 

John  3:16.  "For  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  He 
gave  His  only  begotten  son,  that  whosoever  be- 
lieveth  in  Him  should  not  perish,  but  have  ever- 
lasting life.'' 

173 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


This  is  the  old  love  story  of  the  Gospel.  Luther 
called  this  text  "The  Little  Bible,"  meaning  by  that, 
I  suppose,  that  it  contained  in  brief  the  essence  of 
all  Bible  truth,  and  indeed  this  is  true.  God  loved 
and  gave,  we  believe  and  receive.  Many  other 
things  must  enter  into  this  statement,  but  in  its  final 
analysis  this  covers  the  entire  body  of  revealed 
truth.  I  presume  this  is  the  most  familiar  text 
of  Scripture  to  an  average  Christian  audience,  and 
yet  I  do  not  know  that  I  have  ever  heard  a  sermon 
on  the  text,  save  in  one  instance.  Perhaps  this  is 
due  to  the  very  largeness  of  the  text,  for  it  seems 
impossible  to  exhaust  it. 

It  is  said  that  the  first  time  Mr.  Moody  visited 
the  old  land  he  met  an  English  evangelist  in  whon.i 
he  became  greatly  interested.  He  said  to  him :  "If 
you  should  ever  visit  America,  come  to  Chicago, 
and  I  shall  be  glad  to  see  you."  Several  years  after- 
wards, when  possibly  the  invitation  had  almost 
slipped  out  of  his  mind,  the  evangelist  came  to  Chi- 
cago, arriving  on  a  Saturday  just  as  Mr.  Moody  was 
preparing  to  go  away  to  speak  somewhere  else  on 
the  Lord's  day.  Mr.  Moody  said  to  his  wife:  "Please 
take  the  evangelist  over  to  the  North  Side  tomor- 
row morning  and  ask  the  one  who  is  to  speak  to 
hold  over  and  give  my  English  friend  an  opportun- 
ity to  preach,  and  if  in  the  judgment  of  the  brethren 
it  seems  best,  let  him  speak  again  in  the  evening." 
When  the  time  came  for  the  evangelist  to  speak,  he 
stood  up  before  the  audience  and  announced  as  his 
text,-  John  3:16.  His  diminutive  figure  and  his 
quaint  English  dialect  provoked  a  titter  through  the 

174 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


audience,  but  as  he  began  to  unfold  to  them  some- 
thing of  the  Old  Love  Story  of  the  Gospel,  the  con- 
gregation speedily  forgot  the  messenger  in  the  mes- 
sage. So  great  was  the  interest  that  without  a 
moment's  hesitation  it  was  arranged  that  he  should 
speak  again  in  the  evening,  and  at  the  hour  an- 
nounced the  audience  room  was  well  filled.  When 
the  preacher  arose  to  announce  his  text,  he  said: 
"I  have  been  much  in  prayer  during  the  day  for  a 
text  for  this  evening  service,  and  I  have  been  un- 
able to  settle  on  anything  but  the  text  of  the  morn- 
ing, so,  with  your  permission,  I  will  begin  just  where 
I  left  off  with  John  3 :  16."  So  deep  and  profound 
was  the  impression  made  by  the  speaker  as  he  pro- 
ceeded to  unfold  another  aspect  of  the  truth  of  God's 
love  for  a  lost  world,  that  at  the  close  it  was  ar- 
ranged that  he  should  speak  again  on  Monday  even- 
ing ;  and  it  was  during  the  progress  of  Monday  even- 
ing's service  that  Mr.  Moody,  having  returned  to 
the  city,  came  in  and  took  his  place  in  the  audience, 
just  about  in  time  to  hear  the  evangelist  announce 
his  text.  With  evident  embarrassment  he  said : 
"Dear  friends,  I  feel  that  perhaps  I  owe  you  an 
apology,  but  I  have  not  been  able  to  get  away  from 
the  text  of  yesterday,  so  with  your  permission  we 
will  just  go  on  with  John  3 :  16."  It  is  believed 
that  this  message  had  much  to  do  with  opening  Mr. 
Moody's  eyes  to  the  love  side  of  the  Gospel,  and 
we  know  with  what  power  he  went  up  and  down 
the  world  proclaiming  the  same  message. 

At  the  close  of  the  sermon,  Mr.  Moody  sprang  to 
his  feet  and  in  his  impulsive  big-hearted  fashion 

175 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


said:  "Friends,  there  will  be  preaching  service  in 
this  place  every  night  this  week,  and  the  same  man 
will  speak."  Tuesday  night  came,  and  with  evident 
modesty  and  sincere  embarrassment,  the  evangelist 
announced  that  he  had  not  been  able  to  get  through 
with  the  text,  and  that  he  would  therefore  continue 
with  John  3:16  on  Tuesday  evening  and  from  John 
3:16  on  Wednesday  evening,  and  on  Thursday 
evening  and  Friday  evening,  and  so  on  until  he  had 
preached  seven  sermons  consecutively  from  the  same 
text. 

One  can  well  understand  how  the  true-hearted 
preacher  of  the  Gospel  might  go  on  all  his  days 
preaching  from  this  text  and  never  exhaust  it.  I 
have  no  hope  of  doing  other  than  calling  attention 
to  some  of  the  mountain  peaks  of  truth,  that  stand 
out  distinctly  above  all  others  in  the  text.  On  one 
memorable  visit  to  the  Pacific  coast,  I  was  privi- 
leged successively  to  look  upon  the  four  great  moun- 
tain peaks  of  Mt.  Shasta,  Mt.  Hood,  Mt.  Adams 
and  Mt.  Rainier.  And  so  I  lift  your  eyes  to  the  four 
great  mountain  peaks  of  truth  in  the  text  in  the 
hope  that  the  impression  may  be  as  lasting  as  the 
granite  hills. 

First  then,  I  invite  you  to  look  upon  the  Love 
of  God ;  second,  the  gift  of  God ;  third,  the  invita- 
tion of  God ;  and  fourth,  the  promise  of  God. 

FIRST.  The  Love  of  God.  "For  God  so  loved 
the  zvorld,"  "Love  divine  all  love  excelling,  Joy  of 
Heaven  to  Earth  come  down."  There  is  infinite 
pathos  in  these  four  short  words  "For  God  so  loved." 
Doctor  Torrey  has  called  attention  to  the  statement 
176 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


"God  is  Love,"  as  containing  the  greatest  sentence 
that  was  ever  written.  This  is  the  crowning  revela- 
tion of  Scripture.  One  does  not  find  this  revelation 
in  the  book  of  nature;  indeed,  the  laws  of  nature 
seem  oftentimes  to  contradict  it.  If  you  break  one 
of  the  laws  of  nature  you  must  pay  the  penalty  with 
compound  interest  added.  Nature  knows  no  such 
thing  as  pity,  or  love,  or  forgiveness  for  the  one 
who  sins  against  her;  but  Scripture  reveals  a  new 
law,  the  law  of  Love,  and  because  God  so  loved 
the  world,  He  stands  ready  to  forgive  the  sinner, 
for  God  loves  the  sinner,  while  He  hates  the  sin. 
I  believe  this  is  the  message  that  the  old  sin-cursed, 
habit-bound  world  needs  to-day  as  much  as  it  ever 
did. 

I  have  read  somewhere  of  a  mother  who  loved 
her  boy  as  true  mothers  have  since  the  world  be- 
gan ;  mischievous  and  wayward,  he  went  into  sin, 
deeper  and  deeper,  until  even  his  so-called  friends 
had  forsaken  him ;  but  the  mother  could  always  find 
some  palliation  for  his  wrong  doing  or  some  excuse 
for  his  sin,  because  while  she  hated  the  sin  with  an 
intense  hatred,  she  loved  the  sinner.  In  the  end 
this  young  fellow  went  so  far  as  to  commit  a  crime, 
and  then  to  expiate  his  crime  by  the  death  upon  the 
gallows.  His  mother  was  the  last  one  to  turn  away 
from  him,  the  last  one  to  leave  him.  Others  had 
forsaken  him  in  disgust  long  ago.  She, — never. 
And  it  is  said  that  when  at  last  the  time  came 
for  her  to  lay  her  own  poor,  tired,  broken  body 
down,  her  dying  request  Vv'as  that  she  might  be 
buried  in  the  same  grave  with  her  boy.  Think  of 
L  177 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


it,  willing  to  go  down  into  a  grave  of  infamy  and 
shame  for  the  love  she  bore  her  boy,  and  all  this 
because  she  loved  the  sinner,  while  she  hated  the 
sin.  Even  so  God  loves  the  sinner,  while  He  hates 
the  sin. 

SECOND:  The  Gift  of  God.  "For  God  so  loved 
the  world  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  son."  God 
loved  the  world  and  gave  his  son.  Jesus  Christ,  the 
Son  of  God,  loved  the  world  and  gave  Himself  for 
it.  Jesus  seems  everywhere  and  always  to  have 
recognized  Himself  as  the  gift  of  God.  In  His  in- 
terview with  the  sinful  woman  at  the  well,  you  will 
remember  that  He  said  to  her:  "If  thou  knewest 
the  gift  of  God,  and  who  it  is  that  saith  to  thee,  give 
me  to  drink ;  thou  wouldst  have  asked  of  him,  and 
he  would  have  given  thee  living  water."  And  so 
over  and  over  again,  this  truth  is  emphasized  in 
Scripture.  One  does  not  need  to  prove  to  the  world 
that  "the  wages  of  sin  is  death,"  but  the  world  does 
need  to  know  that  "the  gift  of  God  is  eternal  life, 
through  Jesus  Christ,  our  Lord."  For  despite  the 
teaching  of  the  Master  to  the  contrary,  men  still 
cling  to  the  hope  of  doing  something  to  merit  His 
favor  instead  of  accepting  the  gift,  as  offered  in 
pure  grace.  Some  time  since,  in  conversation  with 
a  man,  when  I  inquired  if  he  was  a  Christian,  he 
said  to  me  at  once :  "Well,  sir,  /  am  doing  the  best 
I  can."  Then  it  occurred  to  me  that  this  man  had 
never  analyzed  that  statement,  and  that  like  a  great 
many  others  who  are  saying  "/  am  doing  the  best  I 
can"  it  had  been  repeated  so  often  that  he  had  come 
to  believe  in  it,  although  there  might  be  no  basis 
178 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


for  it  in  fact,  and  therefore  seeking  to  help  him,  I 
pressed  the  inquiry  a  Httle,  and  asked  him  what  he 
was  doing.  His  reply  again  was :  "I  am  doing  the 
best  I  can."  "But,"  I  asked,  "What  are  you  doing? 
What  are  you  working  at?"  "Well,"  said  he,  "I 
think  one  ought  to  go  to  church."  I  replied :  "Yes, 
the  church-going  habit  is  a  good  one ;  I  do  not  think 
I  have  ever  known  one  being  harmed  by  it.  But," 
I  asked,  "Do  you  go  regularly  every  Sunday?"  "Oh, 
no ;  not  every  Sunday."  "Do  you  go  on  an  average 
once  every  Sunday?"  "No,"  he  said,  "I  don't  think 
I  could  say  that."  "Well,  do  you  average  once  every 
other  Sunday?"  I  asked.  And  he  replied;  "Well, 
I  am  afraid  not;  I  am  afraid  it  would  hurry  me  a 
good  deal."  So  I  said:  "Then  you  are  not  much 
of  a  church-goer  ?"  "No,"  he  replied,  "I  don't  think 
I  am  much  in  the  church-going  line."  "Then  you 
are  not  doing  the  best  you  can  in  that  way,  are 
you?"  And  he  admitted  that  he  was  not.  "But," 
I  added,  "Suppose  you  went  to  church  every  time 
the  church  was  open  regularly,  year  in  and  year  out, 
and  never  found  the  Christ  that  the  church  every- 
where points  to,  for,"  I  added,  "it  is  a  significant 
fact  that  every  church  under  the  sun,  worthy  the 
name,  unites  in  pointing  to  Christ,  no  matter  what 
the  denomination  may  be.  Now,"  I  said,  "do  you 
think  mere  church-going  could  ever  save  anybody  ?" 
And  he  replied,  "No,  I  don't  think  so."  "Very  well," 
I  said,  "now  what  else  are  you  doing?"  "Well,  I 
am  doing  the  best  I  can."  "But,"  I  said,  "in  what 
line?  What  are  doing?"  He  replied,  "Well,  I 
think  a  man  ought  to  read  and  study  the  Bible." 
179 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


And  I  said,  "So  do  I;  are  you  a  Bible  student?" 
He  admitted  frankly  that  he  was  not,  and  then  I 
added  :  "Do  you  read  the  Bible  regularly  ?"  And  he 
replied,  "I  fear  I  do  not."  "Have  you  read  the  Old 
Testament  through?"  "No."  "Have  you  read  the 
New  Testament  through?"  "No."  "Have  you 
read  a  single  book  of  the  Bible  through?"  Instantly 
he  answered :  "Yes,  I  think  I  have ;  as  much  as 
would  make  one  book  at  least."  "Which  one?"  I 
asked,  and  I  feared  he  would  say  Jude,  since  Jude 
has  only  one  chapter,  and  that  is  one  of  the  shortest 
in  the  Bible,  but  he  said  he  had  read  one  of  the 
Gospels,  and  so  I  asked,  "Which  one?"  for  since 
there  are  four  and  each  one  presents  a  different 
aspect  of  the  truth,  I  could  not  talk  intelligently 
about  it  without  knowing  which  one;  but  I  found 
he  could  not  tell,  and  so  it  was  on  his  own  con- 
fession he  knew  little  or  nothing  about  the  Bible. 
"But,"  I  said,  "suppose  you  hdve  read  the  Bible 
through  consecutivel}-,  several  times  during  the  year, 
which  is  quite  possible,  and  }et  had  never  found  the 
Christ  that  every  book  and  indeed  every  chapter  of 
the  Bible  points  to,  could  mere  Bible  reading  save 
your  soul?"  And  he  said,  no,  he  did  not  think  it 
could,  and  yet  he  insisted  he  was  doing  the  best 
he  could;  but  everything  he  spoke  of  resulted  in 
the  same  way.  He  was  practically  doing  nothing 
at  it.  Our  conversation  was  kindly  and  friendly 
throughout,  and  at  last  I  said  to  the  man:  "Do  you 
really  want  to  know  how  you  can  do  the  best  you 
can?"  And  by  that  time  he  was  thoroughly  inter- 
ested, and  he  replied:  "I  do."  "Very  well,"  I 
1 80 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


said,  "I  will  make  a  simple  logical  statement,  which, 
I  think,  you  can  follow  easily.  First,  God  did  the 
best  He  could  when  He  gave  His  Son,  did  he  not  ?" 
And  he  replied :  "Yes,  I  agree  to  that."  "Jesus 
Christ  did  the  best  He  could  when  He  gave  Himself 
to  die  on  Calvary,  did  He  not?"  And  he  said:  "Yes, 
I  agree  to  that  also.  "Very  well,  then,"  I  added, 
"you  will  do  the  best  you  can  when  you  take  the 
gift  and  thank  God  for  it.  It  is  the  taking  of  the 
gift  that  transforms  the  life." 

Speaking  once,  in  Montreal,  to  a  great  audi- 
ence of  men,  I  pressed  this  point,  and,  at  the 
close,  a  young  Englishman  pushed  liis  way  up 
through  the  audience,  and,  clasping  my  hand, 
said:  "I  want  to  thank  you,  sir,  for  pressing 
the  matter  upon  my  attention  to-day,  for  I  have 
taken  the  gift."  He  was  a  splendid  specimen  of 
healthy,  hearty,  athletic  young  Englishman.  He 
continued:  "I  have  one  of  the  best  fathers  and 
mothers  that  God  ever  gave  to  any  boy,  but  I  have 
been  wild  and  reckless,  have  been  to  Australia  and 
California,  but  am  now  on  my  way  back  to  Eng- 
land, and  I  thank  God  that  to-day  /  have  taken  the 
gift."  Someone  spoke  to  me  and  I  turned  away,  and 
when  I  turned  back  he  was  gone.  I  never  expected 
to  hear  of  him  again,  but  a  couple  of  years  ago,  when 
I  was  speaking  on  the  Surrey  side  of  the  Thames,  in 
London,  at  the  close  of  the  service  a  fine  looking 
English  woman  pressed  her  way  to  the  platform 
and  waited  to  speak  to  me.  I  hurried  to  her  side, 
thinking  she  desired  to  talk  to  me  about  her  soul's 
salvation.  As  quickly  as  I  could,  I  asked :  "Is 
i8i 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


0 


there  anything  I  can  do  for  you ;  can  I  help  you  in 
any  way?"  She  replied:  "I  fear,  sir,  that  I  can 
scarcely  control  my  feelings  sufficiently  to  speak  to 
you,  but  when  you  were  telling  of  the  young  Eng- 
lishman who  took  the  gift  in  America,  I  felt  that 
I  must  tell  you  that  //  zvas  my  son,  and  I  also  want 
to  assure  you  that  the  taking  of  the  gift  has  trans- 
formed his  life." 

THIRD :  The;  Invitation  of  God.  "That  ivho- 
soever  helieveth  in  him."  For  once  at  least  here  is 
an  invitation  that  includes  every  one,  for  as  the  lit- 
tle boy  said,  when  asked  to  define  the  word  "Who- 
soever," "It  means  you  or  me  or  anybody  else,"  And 
one  could  scarcely  have  a  more  illuminating  defini- 
tion of  the  word  than  this,  and  yet  how  strange  it 
is  that  many  people  miss  the  benefits  and  blessing 
which  God  has  provided  for  them  in  Christ  because 
they  cannot  quite  understand  that  it  is  a  personal 
matter.  There  is  a  quaint  printer  in  the  lower  part 
of  New  York  City  who,  years  ago,  in  his  leisure 
moments,  set  up  and  printed  a  New  Testament  for 
himself,  so  whenever  he  came  to  an  invitation  or 
promise  that  had  in  it  the  idea  of  the  word  who- 
soever as  meaning  for  anyone,  he  put  in  his  own 
name.  I  do  not  quite  recall  the  man's  name,  but  we 
will  say  it  was  John  Smith.  Our  text  would  there- 
fore read:  "For  God  so  loved  John  Smith,  that 
He  gave  His  only  begotten  Son  that  John  Smith 
believing  in  Him,  should  not  perish  but  have  ever- 
lasting life."  And  so  he  made  the  matter  personal ; 
but  if  he  had  lost  this  testament  and  I,  seeking  the 


182 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


Savior,  had  found  it,  I  could  not  have  claimed  the 
promise  as  mine,  for  my  name  is  not  John  Smith ; 
but  in  God's  word  the  invitation  includes  everyone, 
so  there  can  be  no  mistake,  tlovv  the  preacher  longs 
sometimes  to  be  able  to  make  his  message  as  definite 
and  personal  as  this ! 

I  have  been  told  that  a  man  speaking  in  one 
of  the  services  for  sailors  on  the  east  side  in 
New  York  found  difficulty  in  making  them  un- 
derstand this,  and  so  hit  upon  a  very  forcible 
illustration  to  the  sailors:  He  said  something 
like  this :  "Now,  lads,  look  out,  I  am  going  to  throw 
out  a  rope  to  you  just  as  I  would  if  you  were  sink- 
ing for  the  last  time  (and  it  may  be  that  some  of 
you  are  going  down  under  the  billows  of  sin  that 
are  threatening  to  engulf  you)."  Then  in  imagina- 
tion he  began  to  coil  a  rope  and  swing  it  about  his 
head  as  the  sailors  do,  and  every  sailor  craned  his 
neck  to  see  if  the  man  had  ever  been  on  the  sea 
(for  these  seafaring  men  could  tell  at  once  by  the 
way  he  handled  the  rope).  Presently,  in  imagina- 
tion, he  threw  the  ropes  to  different  parts  of  the 
room,  and  as  he  did  so,  he  said."  "Whosoever  will 
may  receive  salvation  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
Savior."  One  who  was  present  said  that  it  was  so 
real  that  some  of  the  sailors  ducked  their  heads  as, 
in  imagination,  they  felt  the  noose  settle  down  over 
their  shoulders.  Would  that  men  and  women  hear- 
ing the  Gospel  might  feel  that  it  was  for  them  as 
if  there  were  no  one  else  in  the  world  interested. 

Have  you  ever  put  in  your  name,  friend  ?    There 


183 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


is  not  a  single  benefit  or  blessing  in  the  Gospel  that 
is  not  for  you  as  much  as  anyone  else  in  all  the 
world. 

FOURTH :  The  Promise  of  God.  "That  zvho- 
soever  believeth  in  him  should  not  perish  but  have 
everlasting  life."  What  does  it  mean  to  perish  ?  This 
is  an  ominous  word,  and  it  must  be  remembered 
that  it  is  our  Lord's  own  description  of  those  who 
reject  the  Gospel.  Did  He  not  say  in  this  same 
discourse  to  Nicodemus :  "For  God  sent  not  his 
son  into  the  world  to  condemn  the  world,  but  that 
the  world  through  him  might  be  saved.  He  that 
believeth  on  him  is  not  condemned,  but  he  that  be- 
lieveth not  is  condemned  already  because  he  hath 
not  believed  on  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God,  and 
this  is  the  condemnation  that  light  is  come  into  the 
world  and  men  love  darkness  rather  than  light,  be- 
cause their  deeds  are  evil." 

To  perish  from  the  presence  of  God  must  mean 
something  dreadful  beyond  expression,  since  Jesus 
in  his  public  teaching  seems  to  have  been  almost  at 
a  loss  for  words  or  figures  to  express  the  depths 
of  his  meaning,  but  the  comforting  and  encouraging 
thought  in  the  text  is  God's  promise  to  those  who 
personally  accept  His  son,  and  therefore  the  prom- 
ise of  the  text  stands  between  the  soul  and  perishing. 

A  man  riding  across  the  prairies  of  Minnesota 
was  suddenly  overtaken  by  a  fearful  blizzard,  and 
in  the  gathering  storm  and  darkness  lost  his  way. 
Both  man  and  beast  seemed  utterly  enveloped  by 
the  fierce  storm.  After  a  little  that  strange  numb- 
ness began  to  creep  over  his  limbs,  and  he  gave  him- 
184 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


self  up  for  lost,  then  the  horse  stumbled  over  some 
growth  on  the  prairie  and  the  rider  falling,  recovered 
consciousness  and  a  sense  of  his  peril.  Discovering 
a  growth  of  shrubs  on  the  prairie,  the  thought  at 
once  occurred  to  him  that  he  might  gather  dry 
leaves  and  twigs  sufficient  to  build  a  fire  and  so 
save  himself  until  the  storm  was  over-past.  Hastily 
he  went  to  work,  the  poor  beast,  by  instinct,  seek- 
ing to  shield  him.  When  sufficient  fuel  had  been 
gathered  he  sought  for  a  match  with  which  to  start 
the  fire,  and  looking  through  every  pocket  in  his 
clothing  he  found  a  match,  just  one  match  between 
him  and  perishing.  Never  before  did  a  match  seem 
so  precious  a  thing  to  him.  What  if  it  should  go 
out  when  he  struck  it?  Then,  indeed,  he  must 
perish.  But  at  last  he  took  courage,  and  shielding 
it  from  the  blast  by  his  clothing,  he  struck  the  match, 
the  blue  flame  sprang  up  and  then  died  away,  and 
as  he  said,  it  seemed  as  though  his  heart  came  into 
his  mouth.  What  if  it  should  go  out?  But,  pres- 
ently the  brighter  flame  followed,  and  he  was  saved 
to  tell  the  story. 

How  blessed  a  thing  it  is,  that  one  does  not  have 
to  rest  upon  such  a  flimsy  and  uncertain  a  thing  as 
a  match  but  upon  the  sure  promise  of  God  in  the 
matter  of  his  salvation. 

I  doubt  if  any  single  text  of  Scripture  has  been 
used  of  God  in  leading  so  many  to  trust  in  Christ 
as  their  personal  Savior,  as  John  3:16,  and  I  do 
not  know  of  any  surer  or  safer  promise  than  this 
upon  which  to  rest  for  eternity.  The  story  is  told 
of  a  little  boy  standing  by  the  lamp-post  of  one  of 

185 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


the  streets  of  Dublin,  when  a  gentleman  laid  his 
hand  kindly  on  his  shoulder,  and  said:  "My  lad, 
you  ought  not  to  be  here  at  this  time  of  night ;  you 
ought  to  be  at  home."  The  little  fellow  replied 
sadly :  "That's  true,  sir,  but  I  have  no  home  to  go 
to.''  In  kindness  of  heart,  the  gentleman  said:  "If 
you  had  a  home  to  go  to,  would  you  be  glad  to 
go  to  it?  If  so  and  you  will  go  to  a  certain  street 
and  number  you  will  find  just  such  a  home."  The 
little  fellow  evidenced  his  faith  by  starting  off  at 
once  in  the  direction  indicated,  when  he  was  called 
back,  and  the  man  said :  "Can  you  read  and  write?" 
The  little  lad  replied,  "No,  sir."  "Well,"  said  the 
man,  "you  will  need  a  password  to  get  into  the 
home,  and  the  password  is  John  three  sixteen." 
The  little  fellow  went  ofif  at  once,  and,  com- 
ing to  the  number,  rang  the  bell.  Presently  he 
heard  the  sturdy  tread  of  the  porter  as  he  came 
down  the  long  dark  passageway  swinging  his 
lantern,  and  soon  a  gruff  voice  said:  "Who  is 
there?"  The  little  fellow  replied:  "Please,  sir,  it's 
JoJin  three  sixteen."  And  into  the  home  he 
went.  They  treated  him  kindly,  gave  him  a 
warm  meal  and  a  nice  clean  bed,  such  as  his  poor, 
tired  body  had  probably  never  rested  in  before.  In 
the  morning  they  treated  him  kindly  and  sent  him 
out  to  sell  his  papers  during  the  day.  Perhaps  be- 
cause of  his  joy  in  his  new  found  home  or  occu- 
l)ie(l  with  the  thought  of  it,  in  a  careless  moment, 
he  was  run  over  by  a  carriage,  picked  up  for  dead 
and  sent  to  the  hospital  in  an  ambulance.  When  he 
reached  the  receiving  room,  he  had  recovered  suf- 
i86 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


ficicntly  to  answer  in  a  weak  way  the  questions 
the  kindly  surgeon  put  to  him.  W'hen  asked  his 
name,  he  hesitated  a  moment  and  answ'ered,  "Yes- 
terday it  was  so  and  so" — giving-  an  Irish  name — 
"but  to-day  it  is  John  Three  Sixteen,"  and  so  it  went 
down  on  the  hospital  register,  Name,  John  Three 
Sixteen;  nationality,  Irish;  etc.,  and  then  he  went 
into  the  ward.  After  a  little  the  delirium  came  on 
and  the  boy  began  to  cry  out  in  a  loud  shrill  voice, 
"John  Three  Surteen^hnt  it  did  me  good;John  Three 
Sixteen,  but  it  did  no  good."  Some  of  the  convales- 
cents were  interested,  and  one  said  to  another,  what 
does  the  child  mean?  "Why."  said  one,  "that  is  in  the 
Testament,  let  us  look  it  up."  And  so  finding  a 
New  Testament,  they  turned  to  the  words  of  the 
text :  "For  God  so  loved  the  world  that  he  gave 
his  only  begotten  son."  etc.,  and  at  last  one  of  the 
company  was  led  to  receive  Christ  through  the  read- 
ing of  the  text.  In  the  course  of  time  the  boy  was 
convalescent  and  this  man  came  to  him  one  morning 
and  said:  "Well,  little  John  Three  Sixteen,  and 
how  are  you  this  morning?"  "Why  do  you  call  me 
that,  sir?"  said  the  lad.  "Because  you  called  your- 
self that  w'hen  you  first  came  in,  and  I  for  one  thank 
God  for  John  Three  Sixteen."  And  then  the  man 
told  him  all  the  story.  Presently  the  little  face 
lighted  up,  and  the  boy  said :  "Oh,  I  understand, 
sir,  now,  you  mean  that  it  is  not  only  the  password 
into  the  home  down  here,  but  into  the  home  up  there 
also."  He  was  assured  that  this  was  exactly  the 
truth,  and  so  the  boy  himself  entered  into  the  joy 
of  it. 

187 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


Some  clays  afterwards,  when  he  was  able  to  get 
up  and  about,  he  heard  a  man  groaning  on  a  cot 
over  in  one  corner  of  the  ward,  and  going  over  to 
him,  his  warm  Irish  heart  touched  into  sympathy  for 
the  suffering,  he  said :  "Patrick,  what  is  the  trouble 
this  morning?"  "Sure,  trouble  enough.  I  am  going 
to  die,  and  T  am  so  afraid.  The  priest  has  been 
here  and  anointed  me  for  my  burial,  and  the  sisters 
came  and  put  these  beads  about  my  neck  and  left 
me  with  their  blessing.  They  have  all  been  so  kind, 
but  oh,  it  is  so  dark  and  I  am  afraid  to  die."  "Oh, 
Patrick,  I  know  what  you  need,"  said  the  boy,  "you 
need  the  password."  And  giving  him  John  3 :  16 
as  the  password  into  the  home  above,  the  poor, 
ignorant,  illiterate,  dying  Irishman  grasped  the  pass- 
word by  faith  and  went  out  to  meet  his  God.  Could 
he  have  had  a  better  promise  to  rest  upon  ?  Friends, 
have  you  the  password? 


188 


CHAPTER   SIXTEENTH. 


LIFE  OR  DEATH. 

This  sermon  was  preached  by  the  Rev.  Frederick 
E.  Taylor,  pastor  of  the  Central  Baptist  Church  of 
Brooklyn.  It  has  pleased  God 
to  use  it  in  a  remarkable  way, 
and  to  those  who  know  Mr. 
Taylor,  this  is  not  at  all  strange, 
for  very  few  men  are  more 
thoroughly  consecrated  and  few 
that  I  have  known  have  more 
)f  a  passion  for  reaching  men 
with  the  Gospel  than  he. 

Mr.  Taylor  was  in  such  great 
demand  for  the  holding  of 
evangelistic  services  in  the  in- 
terest of  men,  that  at  last  on 
the  advice  of  his  brother  min- 
isters he  resigned  his  church,  and  is  now  devoting 
his  time  to  the  general  evangelistic  work,  in  every 
city  preaching  special  sermons  to  men  with  re- 
markable success. 

"I  call  Heaven  and  earth  to  record  this  day 
against  you,  that  I  have  set  before  you  life  and  death, 
blessing  and  cursing:  therefore  choose  life,  that  both 
thou  and  thy  seed  may  live."  (Deuteronomy  30:  19.) 
The  last  words  of  our  friends  are  always  the  most 
effective.  The  boy  who  has  been  disobedient  to  all 
189 


REV.    FREDERICK   E. 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


authority  of  mother  or  father,  Hstens  attentively  to 
the  words  of  counsel,  advice,  or  request  as  they  fall 
from  the  lips  of  the  dying  parent  and  resolves  that 
now  he  will  obey,  no  matter  what  the  cost  of  obedi- 
ence may  be. 

These  are  the  last  words  of  one  of  the  greatest 
men  the  world  has  ever  known.  Moses  was  a  great 
man.  He  was  great  as  a  statesman  and  as  a  law- 
giver. So  great,  indeed,  that,  after  four  thousand 
years,  we  find  the  jurisprudence  of  the  world  based 
upon  his  words.  He  was  not  only  great  as  a  states- 
man and  lawgiver,  but  he  was  a  wonderful  leader 
of  men.  Men  like  Alexander,  Napoleon,  and  Grant, 
have  marshalled  mighty  armies,  but  Moses  mar- 
shalled and  controlled  for  forty  years  an  army  of 
men,  women  and  children  numbering  millions,  and 
so  completely  was  he  master  of  the  situation  that 
in  all  those  years  there  was  never  any  need  for  a 
change  of  commanders. 

And  now  he  is  about  to  give  up  the  command. 
He  has  received  word  from  the  Lord  that  he  is 
to  come  home  to  heaven  and  receive  his  reward. 
As  the  evening  shadows  gather  about  his  life,  he 
rehearses  before  the  people  the  story  of  God's  deal- 
ings with  them.  He  tells  them  the  story  of  their 
deliverance  from  Egypt,  he  sets  before  them  their 
unbelief  and  their  failure  to  respond  to  the  will  of 
Jehovah.  He  reminds  them  that  whenever  they  have 
obeyed  God  He  has  blessed  them ;  and  whenever 
they  have  disobeyed  He  has  punished  them.  "Now," 
he  says,  "I  am  about  to  leave  you,  another  is  to  take 
my  place,  and  he  will  guide  you  into  the  promised 
190 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


land."  Then  mentioning  six  blessings,  he  says: 
"If  ye  obey  God,  these  will  be  yours,  but  if  ye 
disobey,  these  six  curses  shall  come  upon  you,"  and 
he  mentions  these.  And  then,  with  great  solemnity, 
he  urges  upon  them  the  duty  of  choosing  that  which 
will  bring  the  blessing  of  God.  "I  call  Heaven  and 
earth  to  record  this  day  against  you,  that  I  have 
set  before  you  life  and  death,  blessing  and  cursing: 
therefore  choose  life  that  both  thou  and  thy  seed 
may  live." 

It  is  a  solemn  moment  in  the  life  of  any  man  when 
he  stands  facing  the  question  of  life  and  death.  It 
is  a  solemn  moment  for  men  here  today,  because 
whatever  else  shall  be  the  outcome  of  this  meeting 
I  intend  to  set  before  you  life  and  death,  the  bless- 
ing and  the  cursing;  so  that  if  in  the  days  to  come 
we  shall  face  each  other  at  the  judgment  seat  of 
Christ  I  shall  be  able  to  say  that  on  one  occasion 
at  least  you  came  face  to  face  with  the  claims  of 
God  upon  your  life.  I  want  to  be  able  in  that  day 
to  say  that,  in  no  unmistakable  terms,  I  set  before 
you  the  reasons  why  you  should  choose  life  instead 
of  death,  the  blessing  instead  of  the  curse.  And 
when  I  urge  you  to  choose  life,  let  me  say  that  by 
choosing  life  I  mean  that  you  should  choose  Jesus 
Christ  as  your  Savior  and  Lord.  To  choose  life 
is  to  choose  Christ,  and  to  choose  Christ  is  to  find 
life.  He  is  the  Way  and  the  Truth  and  the  Life, 
and  until  men  know  Him  they  do  not  know  the 
meaning  of  the  world  life.  "I  am  come,"  said  He, 
"that  they  might  have  life  and  that  they  might  have 
it  more  abundantly."  There  are  hundreds  of  reasons 
191 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


why  a  man  should  choose  Hfc,  but  out  of  them  all 
I  want  to  suggest  just  four,  any  one  of  which,  as 
it  seems  to  me,  ought  to  be  enough  to  lead  a  man  to 
God. 

I. 

Every  man  ought  to  choose  Christ  because  all  men 
need  Christ. 

In  every  meeting  like  this  there  are  men,  who, 
stirred  by  the  influence  of  the  service,  go  out  firmly 
resolving  to  live  a  different  life.  They  agree  with 
the  speaker,  they  believe  the  story  of  the  Gospel,  and 
they  have  a  desire  for  a  better  life.  And  certainly 
no  one  should  find  fault  with  a  man  who  desires  a 
better  life.  But  suppose  some  man  goes  out  to-day 
and,  like  many  others,  he  decides  that  hereafter 
he  will  live  a  clean  life.  Suppose  for  the  moment 
that  this  man  lives  to  be  fifty  years  older  than  he  is 
today,  and  in  all  that  time  he  never  commits  another 
sin.  This  is  an  impossible  thing,  of  course,  but  for 
the  moment  let  us  suppose  such  a  case.  Now  would 
that  man  be  saved?  Would  he,  because  of  these 
years  of  righteousness,  be  entitled  to  an  entrance 
into  heavenly  world  ?  No  !  But,  you  say,  why  not  ? 
For  fifty  years  of  clean  living  is  not  a  man  entitled 
to  heaven  ?  And,  again,  I  answer.  No.  In  the  first 
place,  because  no  man  will  ever  be  saved  because 
of  what  he  has  done  but  for  that  which  Christ  has 
done  for  him ;  and  in  the  second  place  he  cannot 
be  saved  for  the  reason  that  he  has  not  been  cleansed 
from  the  sins  already  committed.     The  sins  of  all 

192 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


the  years  up  to  this  time  arc  still  with  him.  Day 
after  day  and  year  after  }ear  he  has  been  piling  them 
ujj  until  they  are  mountainous,  and  nothing  that  he 
can  do  will  ever  atone  for  them.  The  sins  of  thought 
and  deed,  as  well  as  the  sin  of  rebellion  to  God's 
will,  have  never  been  purged  from  his  life,  and  until 
the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  rolls  over  his  soul  he  will 
not  be  entitled  to  an  entrance  into  the  heavenly 
world.  If  by  act  of  righteousness,  if  by  any  amount 
of  pure  living  we  can  be  saved,  then  Calvary  is  a 
farce  and  the  Christ  was  crucified  in  vain.  No,  the 
Scriptures  are  right,  ''All  have  sinned  and  come 
short  of  the  glory  of  God,"  "Without  shedding  of 
blood  there  is  no  remission,"  and  the  young  man 
should  choose  Christ  that  he  may  be  cleansed  from 
sin.  Not  only  does  he  need  Christ  to  get  rid  of  the 
sin  already  in  his  life  but  to  keep  him  from  the,  pos- 
sibility of  failure  after  he  has  been  cleansed.  Many 
a  man  is  afraid  to  stand  up  and  acknowledge  Christ 
as  his  Savior  because  he  fears  that  he  will  sin 
again  within  twenty-four  hours  and  bring  reproach 
upon  his  Lord.  But  Christ  not  only  saves  us  but 
keeps  us,  and  those  who  put  their  trust  in  fiini  are 
kept  by  the  power  of  God  through  faith  unto  salva- 
tion. 

But  there  is  another  reason  why  you  need  Jesus 
Christ,  and  that  is  because  you  can  never  fulfill  the 
purpose  for  which  you  were  created  imtil  you  have 
Him  in  your  life. 

No  man  is  ever  a  man  until  he  is  a  Christian  man. 
When  God  made  man  He  made  him  foursquare.  He 
gave  him  a  physical  side  to  his  nature  and  an  intel- 
M  193 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


lectual  and  social  side  of  his  nature;  but  He  did  not 
stop  there,  for  He  crowned  the  whole  man  with 
spiritual  life  and  this  was  meant  to  dominate  the 
whole  man.  There  are  many  three-sided  men  in 
the  world  to-day.  They  look  all  right  in  the  eyes  of 
men,  but  in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord  they  are  sadlv 
deficient.  A  man  may  develop  his  body  until  he 
has  the  strength  of  a  Sandow,  he  may  cultivate  the 
social  side  of  his  life  until  he  becomes  a  veritable 
Beau  Brummel ;  and  he  may  educate  his  mind  until 
he  becomes  a  genuis ;  but  if  he  has  only  these,  he  is 
a  failure  and  of  all  men  most  miserable.  Not  until 
he  has  been  touched  by  the  Spirit  of  God  and  has 
flowing  through  his  life  the  life  of  Christ  does  he 
become  a  complete  man. 

Some  years  ago,  in  a  little  town  in  the  West,  a 
crowd  of  men  were  gathered  about  a  store  window. 
A  large  American  eagle  was  in  the  window.  Fast- 
ened to  one  of  its  feet  was  a  chain,  and  this  was 
secured  to  ring  in  the  floor  of  the  window.  The 
bird  was  absolutely  indififerent  to  its  condition.  It 
was  a  splendid  picture  of  fallen  greatness.  While 
the  men  were  looking  at  the  bird,  a  tall  young  moun- 
taineer elbowed  his  way  through  the  crowd,  and, 
after  looking  for  a  moment,  walked  into  the  store 
and  asked  the  proprietor  how  much  he  wanted  for 
the  bird.  The  man  said  two  dollars.  The  young 
man  took  some  money  out  of  his  pocket  and  paid 
for  the  bird  and  the  storekeeper  unfastened  the  chain 
and  handed  the  eagle  to  him.  He  carried  the  great 
bird  down  the  street,  followed  by  the  crowd.  Com- 
ing to  a  large  billboard  fence  with  a  ladder  against 
194 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


it,  he  climbed  the  ladder  and  placed  the  eagle  upon 
the  top  of  the  fence.  Unfastening  the  chain  he  came 
down.  The  bird  remained  motionless  for  a  moment, 
then  noting  that  he  seemed  to  have  more  freedom 
than  usual,  he  opened  his  eyes  and  glanced  around. 
Then,  as  if  to  be  sure  of  his  power,  he  stretched 
out  one  great  wing  and  then  another,  and  then  with 
a  hoarse  scream  he  soared  up  toward  the  sun,  while 
the  crowd  sent  up  a  cheer.  "I  used  to  see  that  bird 
away  up  on  the  mountain  where  I  tended  sheep," 
said  the  young  man,  "and  when  I  saw  him  chained 
down  in  that  store  window  I  could  not  stand  it. 
He  belongs  up  above  and  was  never  meant  to  be 
in  such  a  place." 

And,  friends,  God  intended  that  men  should  live 
in  fellowship  with  Him,  and  when  He  saw  us  down 
here  chained  by  sin,  unable  to  realize  the  purpose 
for  which  we  were  created.  He  sent  Jesus  Christ 
to  free  us  and  the  cross  of  Calvary  is  the  price  of 
our  freedom.  And  if  we  will  but  accept  Him  we 
may  live  above  the  clouds  of  this  world  in  fellow- 
ship with  God. 

The  second  reason  why  you  should  choose 
Christ  is : 

n. 

Because  it  is  a  manly  thing  to  do. 

I  have  said  that  a  man  is  never  a  man  until  he 
is  a  Christian  man,  and  I  want  to  emphasize  this. 
There  was  a  day  when,  if  a  }oung  man  became  a 
Christian,  he  was  thought  to  be  a  milk  and  water 

195 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


sort  of  a  fellow  who  had  none  of  the  elements  of 
manhood.  But  that  day  has  gone  forever.  Men 
are  beginning  to  realize  that  it  takes  all  there  is  of 
a  man  to  be  a  Christian.  The  manliest  men  this 
country  has  produced  have  been  Christian  men,  and 
the  man  who  thinks  that  a  man  loses  any  of  his  man- 
liness by  surrendering  his  life  to  Jesus  Christ  has 
a  great  deal  to  learn  about  real  manhood.  There 
came  a  time  in  the  life  of  James  A.  Garfield  when, 
at  the  top  of  Mt.  Holyoke,  with  some  fellow  stud- 
ents, they  decided  to  camp  there  all  night.  When 
the  hour  for  retiring  came,  young  Garfield  took  a 
New  Testament  out  of  his  pocket  and  said :  "Fel- 
lows, I  always  read  a  chapter  out  of  this  book  and 
ofifer  prayer  before  I  go  to  bed,  and  with  your  per- 
mission I  will  read  aloud  and  offer  prayer."  Was 
he  any  the  less  of  a  man  for  that  action?  When 
Abraham  Lincoln  went  to  Henry  Ward  Beecher  one 
night  during  the  civil  war  and  spent  the  night  on 
his  knees  with  Mr.  Beecher,  asking  God  to  save  the 
country,  did  he  lose  any  of  his  manhood?  When 
Wm.  E.  Gladstone  sat  down  by  the  side  of  a  sick 
crossing  sweeper  in  one  of  the  lowest  hovels  in 
London  and  read  the  Scriptures  and  prayed  with 
him,  was  he  any  the  less  of  a  man  ?  I  do  not  need 
to  press  the  question,  every  man  here  knows  that 
these  men  were  manly  men  and  their  relation  to  God 
only  puts  them  upon  a  higher  plane  in  our  estima- 
tion. The  fact  of  the  matter  is  that  the  more  man- 
hood a  man  possesses  the  more  likely  he  is  to  be  a 
Christian  man.  I  have  had  many  excuses  offered  me 
by  young  men  for  not  becoming  followers  of  Christ, 
196 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


but  I  have  never  had  but  one  man  give  what  I 
should  call  a  reason. 

I  was  conducting  a  series  of  meetings  in  a  well 
known  university  some  years  ago,  and  when  the  last 
night  of  the  meetings  came  the  hall  was  filled  to 
overflowing.  A  number  of  the  students  had  come 
out  for  Christ  during  the  meetings,  but  there  was 
still  a  number  who  were  holding  back.  One  of  the 
men  who  attended  the  last  meeting  was  a  prominent 
football  man,  and  in  fact  one  of  the  leading  men  in 
the  college.  At  the  close  of  the  service,  his  chum, 
who  sat  beside  him,  stood  up  and  publicly  accepted 
Christ,  together  with  a  number  of  others.  After 
the  meeting  was  over,  I  met  this  football  man  and 
some  others  in  a  class  room.  All  of  the  men  in  the 
room  came  out  for  Christ  but  this  one.  When  I 
came  to  him  I  saw  that  he  was  as  white  as  marble. 
He  was  trembling  from  head  to  foot,  and  1  knew 
that  he  was  having  a  great  struggle.  Taking  him 
by  the  hand  I  said  to  him :  "Will  you  take  Jesus 
Christ  as  your  Savior  and  follow  him?"  He  hesi- 
tated a  moment,  and  then  he  said:  "I'm  not  man 
enough."  And  he  told  the  truth.  It  takes  all  there 
is  of  a  man  to  be  a  Christian,  and  if  some  of  those 
who  are  here  this  afternoon  should  tell  the  real 
truth  they  would  have  to  say :  "The  only  reason 
why  I  am  not  a  Christian  is  because  I  am  not  man 
enough." 

Another  reason  why  every  man  should  choose 
Christ  is  found  in  the  fact  that 


197 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


III. 

The  service  of  Christ  affords  an  opportunity  for 
real  heroism. 

We  admire  the  courage  of  the  man  who,  when  the 
call  comes  for  volunteers,  leaves  his  home  and  goes 
forth  to  face  the  bullets  of  the  enemy  of  his  coun- 
try. And  we  should  admire  this  courage.  But  let 
us  not  forget  that  moral  courage  is  far  superior  to 
physical  courage.  Many  a  man  who  can  face  bul- 
lets without  flinching  will  fall  before  a  glass  of  beer. 
Men  who  will  risk  their  lives  for  the  sake  of  others 
sometimes  have  no  courage  at  all  in  moral  matters. 

Here  is  a  young  man  and  he  has  just  left  his  home. 
He  is  sad  faced  and  heavy  hearted.  The  doctor  has 
just  told  him  that  unless  the  young  wife  whom  he 
adores  can  have  a  change  of  climate  and  some  of 
the  luxuries  which  he  has  mentioned,  she  cannot  get 
well.  He  loves  her  with  all  his  soul  and  would  be 
willing  at  any  moment  to  lay  down  life  itself  for 
her  sake.  But  here  is  a  condition  which  he  cannot 
help.  His  salary  will  not  permit  of  following  the 
doctor's  orders.  He  enters  the  office  and  opens  the 
safe  and  takes  out  the  money  for  the  day's  business. 
He  is  all  alone  in  the  office.  While  he  is  counting 
the  money  there  comes  across  his  mind  a  suggestion 
which  causes  the  hot  blood  to  rush  to  his  temples. 
Why  not  take  some  of  this  money?  It  will  never 
be  missed.  You  have  nothing  to  risk,  for  you  can 
put  it  back  at  your  leisure.  And  then  all  the  forces 
of  the  infernal  world  begin  their  awful  work.  On 
198 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


the  one  side  is  the  wife  whom  he  loves  and  the  pos- 
sibility of  health  and  strength.  On  the  other  is  the 
fact  that  years  ago  he  promised  to  follow  Jesus 
Christ.  The  battle  rages  for  a  few  moments,  when, 
with  a  cry  of  agony,  he  flings  himself  upon  his 
knees.  "O  God,  help  me  now !"  And  a  moment 
after  he  stands  up  and  the  victory  is  won.  That 
man  is  a  hero!  Napoleon  in  all  of  his  marvelous 
conquests  never  won  a  victory  as  great  as  that.  Yes, 
men,  the  man  who  lives  an  out  and  out  life  for 
Christ  will  have  battles,  and  many  of  them,  and  this 
alone  ought  to  appeal  to  young  men,  for  what  are 
we  here  for  if  not  to  fight  battles  ?  And  what  sort 
of  a  man  is  that  who  wants  an  easy  time  of  it  in 
this  world  ?  Oh,  for  men,  real,  dead  in  earnest  men. 
Men  who  will  consecrate  their  lives  to  the  service  of 
Jesus  Christ  and  then,  to  use  the  words  of  Mr. 
Speer,  "Live  with  a  vengeance  and  die  with  a  snap." 
And  now,  last  of  all,  and  perhaps  most  important 
of  all,  I  urge  you  to  choose  Christ  because 

IV. 

In  so  doing  you  obtain  eternal  life. 

"There  is  none  other  name  under  heaven  given 
among  men  whereby  we  must  be  saved."  You  ought 
to  choose  Christ  because  you  need  Him  to  cleanse 
you  from  past  sin,  to  keep  you  from  present  and 
future  sin,  to  enable  you  to  fulfill  the  object  of  your 
creation,  because  you  are  doing  the  manly  thing 
when  you  do  this  and  you  find  an  opportunity  to 
develop  a  heroic  character;  but  if  none  of  these  rea- 
199 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


sons  move  you,  then  let  me  urge  you  to  choose 
Christ  for  the  sake  of  your  eternal  destiny.  You 
may  not  think  you  need  Christ  now,  but  the  day 
will  come  when  you  will  need  Him  more  than  you 
have  ever  needed  anything  in  this  world. 

While  traveling  upon  the  Sound  Steamers  I  used 
to  notice  that  each  boat  carried  two  splendid  look- 
ing anchors.  They  were  very  nice  to  look  at,  but 
I  could  not  see  the  reason  for  having  them  on  board. 
We  used  to  tie  up  at  the  wharf  in  Fall  River,  and 
when  we  came  to  New  York  I  noticed  that  they 
did  the  same  thing  here.  And  this  led  me  to  think 
that  these  anchors  were  carried  merely  for  ornament. 
But  one  morning  I  was  awakened  by  the  blowing  of 
whistles  and  ringing  of  bells,  and  I  went  on  deck 
and  found  that  we  were  in  the  midst  of  a  dense  fog. 
So  thick  was  it  that  we  could  hardly  see  from  one 
end  of  the  vessel  to  the  other.  Just  as  I  arrived  on 
deck  I  saw  the  sailors  lowering  one  of  the  anchors. 
It  went  down  into  the  water  with  a  splash,  and  the 
vessel  swung  around  and  we  were  fast.  After  a 
while  the  fog  lifted  and  then  I  learned  the  value  of 
an  anchor,  for  right  ahead  of  us  was  one  of  the 
other  Sound  Steamers  and  had  we  gone  on  our  way 
we  must  have  crashed  into  her  with  dreadful  results. 
The  anchor  on  that  steamer  saved  our  lives.  And, 
my  friends,  when  the  fogs  begin  to  gather  and  the 
things  of  this  world  fade  from  your  view,  the  one 
thing  that  will  prove  valuable  will  be  your  hope  in 
Jesus  Christ.  And  if  you  do  not  possess  this,  noth- 
ing but  disaster  and  ruin  await  you. 

I  am  acquainted  with  a  man  who  is  an  engineer 
200 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


on  one  of  the  railroads  running  out  of  New  York 
City.  Some  years  ago  this  man,  who  is  an  earnest 
Christian,  was  addressing  a  meeting  of  men,  a  large 
number  of  whom  were  employees  of  the  railroad. 
As  he  closed  his  address,  he  said :  "I  cannot  begin 
to  tell  you  what  Jesus  Christ  is  to  me.  He  has  given 
me  a  hope  that  is  very  precious.  Some  years  ago," 
he  said,  "every  night  as  I  neared  the  end  of  my  run, 
I  would  look  up  to  the  top  of  a  hill  where  stood  a 
little  cottage;  and  as  we  rushed  down  through  the 
cut  I  would  pull  open  the  whistle  and  let  out  a  blast, 
and  then  an  old  lady  would  come  to  the  door  of  the 
cottage  and  wave  her  hand  to  me.  And  as  we  shot 
into  the  tunnel  she  would  go  into  the  house  and 
say  to  her  husband :  'Thank  God,  father,  Bennie 
is  safe  home  to-night.'  But  the  day  came  when  we 
carried  mother  out  and  laid  her  to  rest.  Then,  night 
after  night,  when  I  pulled  the  whistle,  an  old  man 
would  come  to  the  door  and  wave  his  hand  to  me 
and  I  could  almost  hear  him  say,  as  he  entered  the 
house:  'Thank  God,  Bennie  is  safe  home  to-night.' 
But  now,"  said  the  engineer,  "they  are  both  gone, 
and  although  I  look  up  many  times,  I  do  not  see 
either  of  the  dear  ones  to  welcome  me  home.  But 
some  day  when  I  have  pulled  the  whistle  for  the 
last  time  and  the  work  of  this  world  is  over  I  shall 
come  to  the  pearly  gates,  and  I  am  sure  that  as  I 
draw  near  I  shall  see  an  old  lady  waiting  at  the 
entrance  with  an  old  gentleman ;  and,  as  I  enter  I 
shall  see  my  dear  old  mother  turn  to  father  and  say : 
'Thank  God,  father,  Bennie  is  safe  home  at  last.'  " 
Oh,  men,  if  for  no  other  reason  than  for  this,  that 
201 


FISHING    FOR    MEN 


it  will  mean  the  reunion  of  loved  ones,  the  answer 
to  the  prayers  of  those  whom  we  have  loved  long 
since  and  lost  awhile,  I  urge  you  to  choose  Christ. 

May  God  help  you  now  to  give  free  play  to  the 
noblest  impulses  of  your  life.  Choose,  choose  now, 
and  choose  Christ. 

"I  call  Heaven  and  earth  to  record  this  day  against 
you  that  I  have  set  before  you  life  and  death,  bless- 
ing and  cursing ;  therefore  choose  life  that  both  thou 
and  thy  seed  may  live." 


202 


1    1012  01109  0950 


Date  Due 

f   " 

AP  2  1  '' 

S 

Mf^^'^^ 

>3 

M   /     '_ 

OC  i  -J  T? 

AW*4Mk»a<i^.' 

li^ 

^«— - 

^^WW!*'^- 

OCT  20  1954 

^ 

